Woodland, California Future of Veg Brings Cucurbit, Solanaceae, and More Crop Innovations to Growers

• Inaugural Future of Veg spotlights innovations in watermelon, cantaloupe, peppers, tomato, and more to help growers combat challenges throughout the season.
• This international event attracted growers and distributors from around the world, including Australia, Mexico, Croatia, Netherlands, Poland, Brazil, Colombia, and many more. 

Today marked the completion of the inaugural Future of Veg event in Woodland, Calif. Hosted by Syngenta Vegetable Seeds August 13-15, the event showcased the latest innovation in vegetables as growers continue to face volatile climate conditions and rapidly changing market conditions and consumer preferences. Exciting developments showcased in the field included watermelon, perfectly ripe IDEAL melons and disease resistant peppers.

“The most exciting aspect of our Future of Veg series is the real-time collaboration it enables,” said Juan Pablo Lopez, Syngenta Vegetable Seeds Regional Commercial Head, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. “By gathering feedback from growers in Woodland and combining that with our other Future of Veg events, we gain a comprehensive understanding of market needs that helps shape our innovation pipeline.” 

Attendees from more than a dozen countries gathered in Woodland with a common goal – finding the best genetics and solutions to fit their unique needs. 

"The turnout from our growers and distributors exceeded all expectations," said Andre Cariou, Syngenta Vegetable Seeds Regional Commercial Head for LATAM and AGH. "We were particularly gratified to showcase our latest innovations in cantaloupe, watermelon, and pepper varieties to such an engaged audience." 

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Innovation Showcase:

• IDEAL Melons feature the patented Harvest Indicator Trait, allowing growers to select fruit at the perfect time for harvest. Because the melons also continue ripening after harvest it results in a higher sweetness and stronger aroma when compared to traditional long-shelf-life cantaloupes – and enabling the customer to have a perfectly sweet melon every time. 

• For watermelon growers, Syngenta breeders introduced two varieties of firm flesh watermelons, Cato and Golden Crisp, which can be used for both whole-fruit and packaged markets. Experts also showcased watermelon rootstock trials and scion, bringing hearty disease resistance and new options for growers. 

• Syngenta’s pepper breeders focus on fruit yield potential and disease resistance in blocky peppers — for example, all U.S. varieties have resistance against tomato wilt virus. Hot peppers, including jalapeno and ancho, feature highly versatile plants with excellent heat setting, and resistance to major bacterial and soil wilt.