eternal.ag and Rijk Zwaan combine knowledge to explore tomato traits suitable for robotic operations in fully automated greenhouses
eternal.ag and Rijk Zwaan are collaborating in exploring which tomato varieties can support robotic crop work operations in greenhouses. By sharing knowledge and insights, the initiative aims to better understand which plant characteristics are suited for a future where crop work in greenhouse environments is fully automated.
By combining Rijk Zwaan’s global experience in fruit and vegetable breeding with eternal.ag’s expertise in robotics and AI, the companies will explore which crop traits are most suitable for autonomous tasks in greenhouses such as harvesting and other activities.
By experimenting with new ways crops grow and behave, the collaboration will focus on exploring tomato varieties that better align with robotic systems in high-tech greenhouses. This includes identifying traits such as improved fruit accessibility and plant topologies that enable consistent performance by robotics.
The initiative responds to a growing structural challenge in the sector. Labor shortages continue to impact greenhouse operations and food production globally, accelerating the need for automation. By aligning insights from crop performance with the development of robotic systems, the collaboration aims to contribute to more scalable and predictable greenhouse operations.
“Robotics will play an important role in the future of automatic greenhouses,” says Michiel Zwaan, Crop Manager Berries & Tomato at Rijk Zwaan. “That’s why working together is important. This collaboration gives us the chance to try things out in practice.”
“The collaboration represents a future vision of blending advanced research, technical expertise, and real-world application,” said eternal.ag co-founder and CEO Renji John. “By bridging the gap between robotics and crop genetics, the goal is to improve future crop performance, while addressing long-term food production challenges in a future where greenhouse automation is essential”.
As part of the collaboration, eternal.ag’s Harvester robot will be demonstrated at Rijk Zwaan’s trial center high-tech (TCHT) in De Lier (the Netherlands), during the week of 8 June 2026.
