"Fast generative start thanks to new rootstock."

The flavourful tomatoes that Stoffels Tomaten enjoys working with are not always the easiest to cultivate. With the Fervour rootstock, it works perfectly to steer generatively and achieve high quality quickly. However, the resistance package was the most important deciding factor.

“We do not grow the most obvious varieties,” Jef van Belle begins his story. “They are often varieties where the first trusses produce many cracked fruits. That is why our colleagues often ignore them. At Stoffels Tomaten, we are strongly taste-oriented. We always look first at what constitutes a tasty tomato and then investigate how best to grow that tomato. With the Fervour, we always quickly find the generative balance in such varieties. That rootstock helps us perfectly with a generative start, and in this way, we achieve high quality right from the first trusses. It is also possible to steer generatively well in low light or high humidity. And that is how we maintain a good plant balance.” However, generative traits were not the primary reason for choosing the Fervour two years ago. “No, that was the resistance package,” confirms the production manager. “Resistances are important to us, especially ToBRFV resistance. The Fervour was one of the first rootstocks with that resistance. We have had bad experiences with viral infections in the past. We seize any opportunity that helps limit virus risks. The more resistances, the better.”

Endurance
Two years ago, Van Belle was first introduced to Syngenta’s new rootstock. “That was through crop advisor Pieter Stijnen,” he explains. “He always shares new developments with us quickly, and he doesn’t sell nonsense. I quickly gained confidence in Pieter’s story about the Fervour. And that was also supported by results from the trial centers; they looked very promising.” After an initial substantial trial of a number of greenhouses during the 2024-2025 growing season, the Fervour acreage was significantly expanded the following year. There are now several vigorous varieties from their key segments grafted onto the Fervour rootstock.

Jef now also knows that the Fervour has sufficient endurance for a long season. “That was a bit nerve-wracking,” he laughs, “because generativity often goes hand in hand with shorter endurance. But that fear was unfounded. The Fervour holds up well; it can keep up perfectly with the rest. With the experience we have now gained, this rootstock is definitely here to stay.”

FRAME: Stoffels Tomaten: distinctive and innovative
The aforementioned strong focus on taste is a defining characteristic of the distinctive tomato grower from Belgium. At three locations in Rijkevorsel (illuminated), Beerse, and Loenhout (illuminated starting this coming autumn), the company cultivates over 25 hectares of tomatoes across a wide range of segments, including cherry tomatoes on the vine, mini plums on the vine, snack tomatoes, and cocktail tomatoes; the cherry tomato on the vine is the largest segment. Over the years, Stoffels Tomaten has proven itself an innovative frontrunner on multiple fronts. For instance, the company switched to coconut substrate as early as 15 years ago. Plant activity is monitored via sap flow sensors, giving cultivation managers quick insight into the effects of cultivation practices and conditions. This coming autumn, a self-navigating robot will make its debut to perform large-scale crop measurements regarding, for example, growth rate and the number of trusses. In addition to cultivation optimisation, the robot will also help improve harvest forecasts.