History of Innovations

The Carrot That Changed Everything
Convenience and flavor. The first baby carrot hybrid, Caropak, was introduced by Asgrow (later Seminis) in the 1980s. Unlike other hybrids, it maintained its size and quality under the high plant densities necessary for baby carrot production. It is also one of the most consistently sweet varieties. More than 875 billion baby carrots were produced with Caropak seed, and it remains the single most successful carrot hybrid ever.

Honeymoon Watermelon
A national love affair. In the mid-1990s, Seminis transformed the watermelon industry in Korea with an ultra-sweet hybrid named Honeymoon. Today, Honeymoon is a household name in Korea and a powerful consumer brand. The fruits even have official certification stickers to thwart inferior counterfeits. New and improved versions of Honeymoon are currently being trialed.

The "No-Heat" Hot Pepper
Mild salsas. In the 1990s Seminis developed Dulce, the first "heat-free" jalapeño. This palatable pepper lacks capsaicin — the hot stuff. Food processors can now provide mild versions of their salsas and hot sauces without sacrificing flavor. Salsa now outsells ketchup in the United States. Seminis was also the first to develop large peppers for processing.

The Beginnings of Seed Technology
On-farm efficiency. In the 1960s, Seminis (then Royal Sluis) started research for pelleted seeds, which improved efficiency on the farm. Their first product, called Split Pill, was launched in 1968.

Hybrid Broccoli and Cauliflower
Vigor and quality. Seminis (then Royal Sluis) introduced the first broccoli and cauliflower hybrids in Europe in the seventies and eighties. Like hybrids today, these varieties dramatically out-yielded other products, while providing more consistent quality.

Hybrid Hot Peppers
Hot and spicy. Seminis (then Petoseed) introduced the first jalapeño pepper hybrids in Mexico, which led to dramatic increases in yield and more consistent quality. Today, nearly 100% of hot peppers grown in Mexico are hybrids.

European Tomatoes
Big flavor. In 1975, Seminis introduced one the first tomato hybrids in Spain and Portugal. Known as Montecarlo, it is still widely planted by amateur growers due to its big size and flavor.

Seedless Cucumbers
Hybrid consistency. Under our Bruinsma brand, which specialized in seeds for protected culture, Seminis introduced the first parthenocarpic slicer hybrid, called SOLVERDE, in 1995. This variety became a market leader and after 10 years is still referenced as the benchmark in this market segment.

Stringless String Beans
The first breakthrough in convenience. The development of the stringless string bean in the late 1800s by plant breeder Calvin Keeney, one of the founders of Asgrow (later Seminis), accelerated the widescale use this legume in modern times. Prior to this plant breeding breakthrough, the tough fibrous string running the length of the pod seam had to be removed from each pod before cooking. Though the name still sticks in many regions, string beans are more accurately referred to as snap beans today.

A Long-Awaited Solution
On-farm protection. In the 1990s Seminis developed the first virus-resistant squash developed through biotechnology. The hybrids help protect growers from devastating crop losses, and represent a first-step toward reducing pesticide use in this crop. Virus-protected squash has improved fruit quality and availability for the consumer as well. It's available only in the United States.

The Tomato That Saved San Diego
Hybrids demonstrate their value. In the 1970s, a mysterious plant disease was wiping out the pole tomato business in San Diego County. Dark cankers and sunken lesions appeared on plants and quickly overcame whole fields. Chemicals were ineffective and university researchers were unable to offer a solution.

During this time, plant breeders at Petoseed (later Seminis) discovered that Hybrid 6718 remained healthy while other varieties died. The experimental hybrid, it was later discovered, carried a gene that made it resistant to the disease. Introduced soon after, Hybrid 6718 became so successful that it led to a complete switch to hybrids by San Diego growers and the increasing emphasis and use of disease resistant varieties in California.

Today, hybrids account for 95% of the fresh market tomato acreage in the state. Newer hybrids carry as many as eight different disease resistance genes. In fact, this type of "built-in" disease resistance is preferred by growers since it can reduce the need for chemicals and other crop inputs.