Advanta Seeds, part of the UPL Group, is engaged with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on poverty alleviation, improved livelihoods, food security, and climate change. They provide seeds and technology to support sustainable farming in Africa.
Advanta ranks second in South and Southeast Asia and fourth in Africa on the 2021 Access to Seed Index (ASI) for enhancing smallholder farmers' productivity.
With a presence in 84 countries, Advanta operates 24 production sites and research centers, offering around 900 hybrids from 40 crops. Their portfolio includes 85 products across 44 crops, aimed at Southern and East African farmers.
Under the brands Advanta, Alta, and Pacific Seeds, they operate in Africa with sites in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Egypt, and Nigeria.
Crop information
Advanta Seeds offers tomatoes known for their high yield potential and disease tolerance. Their breeding programs focus on addressing challenges like tomato yellow leaf curl virus, bacterial wilt, and nematodes. They are also developing varieties with field tolerance to verticillium and fusarium, which are set to be released in South Africa.
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These tomatoes are suitable for processing markets due to their high brix percentage, size, and fully developed internal cavity. They have firm skins and thick fruit walls, allowing for extended storage and easy transport. Growers in Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces have reported a 10 to 20% yield increase with Advanta varieties compared to industry standards.
In South Africa, they currently sell three F1 hybrid varieties: Adv 1225, Adv 12131 (both determinate processing tomatoes), and Adv 1247 (a large determinate processing tomato). They are also trialing other hybrids with growers and seed partners.
Advanta Seeds has commercialized a determinate sweet pepper variety in South Africa, known as Adv 1532 (Reli Sweet 32), which has performed well in Africa and Middle East countries. This variety is aimed at growers seeking to maximize returns with its early and high-yielding potential.
Adv 1532 is designed to compete with South Africa's top sweet pepper varieties. It is noted for its high yield and foliar disease tolerance. The fruits are shiny and can be harvested green or red, with a thick wall that allows for extended shelf life and improved transportability.
The variety is suitable for the fresh market and is intended for retail stores and export due to its fruit quality and size. Adv 1532 is designed for both large-scale commercial farming and small-scale, emerging farmer production in open fields or protected cultivation, with or without support.
Advanta Seeds introduces Adv 509 (Reli Fire 509), a high-pungent hot pepper variety in South Africa within the Thai/Fury segment.
Adv 509 provides farmers with an opportunity for an earlier harvest over an extended period. This hybrid variety is notable for its high-yielding potential and its marketable dark green shiny fruits when immature, and deep red shiny fruits at full maturity. These characteristics contribute to its excellent storage quality and drying capability, making it suitable for the dryers processing market for chili sauce and spices, as well as for fresh markets for consumption.
For more information:
Advanta Seeds Global
www.advantaseeds.com/