Israeli Formula Increases Tomato Yields, Even During Droughts

An Israeli agtech company has developed a way to grow tomatoes even in times of drought. 

It boosts the growth of the tomato root system and improves nutrient absorption from the soil, improving yield and extending the shelf life of agricultural produce, even as droughts continue to strengthen. 

Grace Breeding, the Rehovot-based startup behind the innovation, says its Wide Defense System (WDS) only needs to be applied once per season. 

Over 90 per cent of US tomatoes are grown in California, which has suffered its worst drought since the year 800. This has forced more than a third of local farmers to kill their crops due to water deficiency, causing a rise in prices.

The WDS formula helps industrial, or commercially-grown tomatoes, grow in different plots in various climate stress conditions. 

The startup recently carried out an industrial tomato trial in Israel using the formula. It was tested on tomatoes in a semi-arid climate similar to that of California, which included harsh weather conditions like drought and record heating.

It says its formula boosts industrial tomato yield by 17 per cent while improving nutrient absorption from the soil.

“Grace Breeding understands the stress that a drought can bring on farmers and consumers alike,” said CEO Assaf Dotan.

“Our aim with our proprietary WDS formula is to provide farmers with a higher yield of industrial tomatoes to help maximize their production cycles and mitigate distribution challenges resulting from drought conditions.

“The use of our WDS helps farmers boost growth for industrial tomatoes in different plots amid various climate stress conditions. The product has a simple and efficient once-per-season application via the irrigation system that adds an additional economic benefit.”