“I find it absolutely fascinating to watch seeds germinate and eventually grow into beautiful crops”
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At De Bolster, we develop strong, resilient varieties that help organic growers overcome cultivation challenges. For years, we have been working on tomato varieties with high resistance to late blight (Phytophthora), a disease that makes outdoor tomato growing particularly risky.
“Growing tomatoes outdoors? Now I’m confident enough!”
One of the growers who tested our new varieties this year is Pieter Lammerts of Stadsakker Wageningen. After fifteen years without growing tomatoes, he finally took the plunge. And it paid off!
Fifteen years without tomatoes
At Stadsakker Wageningen, Pieter grows a wide variety of organic vegetables on 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres). Around 425 participants come to harvest their own vegetables. But one popular crop had been missing for years: tomatoes.
Participants regularly asked for tomatoes, but Pieter had to disappoint them time and again. Without a greenhouse, the risk of losing the crop to late blight was simply too high. Under wet conditions, this disease can spread rapidly and devastate entire tomato crops.
When Pieter heard positive reports about De Bolster’s new late blight-resistant tomato varieties, he decided to give them a chance. For the first time in fifteen years, tomatoes were growing at Stadsakker Wageningen again.
A promising first harvest
In mid-May, four different tomato varieties from De Bolster were planted. Pieter had a fellow grower raise the young plants. By growing several varieties side by side, he could discover which ones were best suited to his growing conditions and the pick-your-own concept.
The results exceeded his expectations. The first tomatoes were ready for harvest as early as the third week of July, sooner than Pieter had anticipated. He was delighted: “This has been a trial season, and it’s worked out really well.”
Pieter was particularly impressed by the plants’ vigor. They flowered quickly, the first fruits ripened rapidly, and Pieter was still harvesting plenty in mid-September. The warm, dry summer of 2026, combined with sufficient irrigation, contributed to these positive results.
“This has been a trial season, and it’s worked out really well.”
Resistant to late blight
For Pieter, resistance to late blight was the deciding factor. This disease, also known as potato blight, can cause significant damage to tomato crops during wet weather.
By mid-September, Pieter noticed a few small signs of infection on his tomato plants. Remarkably, the disease did not spread any further. “It stops where you see the spots and doesn’t spread any further,” he explains. This was a major difference from his earlier experiences with potato cultivation, when the first signs of infection could develop into a serious problem within just a few days under unfavorable weather conditions.
“It stops where you see the spots and doesn’t spread any further.”
The experience at Stadsakker Wageningen demonstrates the potential of resistant varieties. Resistance does not mean that plants are completely immune to late blight, but it does make them more resilient. This makes outdoor tomato growing much more attractive, even for organic growers without a greenhouse.
Tomatoes are here to stay
What started as a trial has turned into a great success for Pieter. After fifteen years of avoiding tomatoes because of the risk of late blight, he now looks to the future with confidence.
Pieter is determined to grow tomatoes again next year. With the reduced risk of late blight, he believes tomatoes now have a place in his growing operation. This means he no longer has to turn down requests from participants who want to harvest their own tomatoes.
His experience shows what organic plant breeding can achieve: resilient tomato varieties that open up opportunities for outdoor growing and win over participants with their sweet flavor.
Our breeding vision: naturally resilient varieties
At De Bolster, our breeding programs focus on the challenges of organic agriculture. We develop varieties that are naturally resilient to diseases and pests and perform well under varying growing conditions. Through years of observation, crossing, and selection under organic growing conditions, we combine natural resistance with important characteristics such as flavor, yield, and vigor.
Our late blight-resistant tomatoes are a great example. By combining natural resistance to this disease with strong growing characteristics and good flavor, we are making outdoor organic tomato growing more attractive. This provides growers with resilient varieties that reduce the risk of disease and contribute to successful organic cultivation.
That is what our breeding work is all about: strengthening organic agriculture worldwide through strong genetics and high-quality organic seeds.
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