South Africa
December 4, 2025

On 3 December 2025, Sakata participated in a Tomato Grafting & Rootstock Day hosted at Pleroma Boerdery in Brits, North West, South Africa. The event brought together leading seed suppliers, technical specialists and growers for a collaborative knowledge‑sharing day focused on improving tomato production through modern grafting practices.

The main objective of the event was to demonstrate how various scion–rootstock combinations perform under practical farming conditions. This is an increasingly important topic as growers look for stronger disease resistance, improved vigour and more resilient production systems.

Highlight of the Day: Water Management Insights

One of the standout sessions was presented by Chris Barnard, who shared actionable insights on water management and irrigation strategies. His practical approach provided growers with valuable tools for improving water use efficiency, supporting healthier plants and maintaining consistent yields. These are key priorities for modern tomato producers.

Sakata Variety Highlight: SVTH6995 Grafted on Bowman Rootstock

Among the varieties showcased, Sakata’s SVTH6995 F1 hyrbid tomato grafted onto Bowman F1 hyrbid rootstock drew significant attention from farmers and industry partners.

This combination impressed attendees with:

• Healthy, vigorous plant growth
• Uniform structure and strong root development
• Excellent fruit quality
• Improved disease resistance thanks to Bowman rootstock 

SVTH6995, an indeterminate salad tomato hybrid, is already known for its adaptability, high productivity and consistent fruit size. When grafted onto Bowman, a high‑performance rootstock developed for strength, stress tolerance and yield stability, the result is a powerful pairing ideal for modern grafted production systems. 

Learn more about the featured varieties:

SVTH6995 F1 Hybrid Indeterminate Salad Tomato

https://sakata.co.za/shop/vegetables/tomato/indeterminate-salad/svth6995-f1-hybrid-indeterminate-salad-tomato/

Bowman F1 Hybrid Tomato Rootstock

https://sakata.co.za/shop/vegetables/root-stock/tomato-rootstock/bowman-f1-hybrid-tomato-rootstock/

Thank You to Industry Partners and Growers

Sakata extends sincere thanks to the growers, partners and fellow seed suppliers who attended the event, including Starke Ayres, InteliGro, Nuvance, Syngenta Vegetable Seeds South Africa, Hygrotech SA and Seminis Bayer Vegetable Seeds. The high level of engagement made this knowledge‑sharing day both valuable and inspiring.

Website: http://sakata.co.za/

Published: February 5, 2026