With over 50 years of experience, Sakata Seed Sudamerica has established itself as the company that invests the most in vegetable research for tropical climates in Brazil and is a benchmark in developing seeds adapted to South America's needs. A subsidiary of the Japanese multinational Sakata Seed Corporation, the company is known for its pioneering spirit and for combining science, innovation, and sustainability in the creation of cultivars that add value across the entire production chain.
Since the founding of the former Agroflora in 1968 - acquired by the Sakata Group in 1994 - the company became the first in the private sector to invest in local research focused on the specific challenges faced by Brazilian growers. It was also responsible for introducing Brazil's first hybrid vegetable varieties, playing a leading role in shaping the national horticultural market. Today, this commitment is reflected in a robust portfolio of over 250 vegetable varieties - many of them market leaders in segments such as lettuce, peppers and broccoli.
To maintain this level of excellence, Sakata reinvests a significant portion of its annual revenue into Research and Development of new varieties. This work is carried out through conventional breeding, without genetic modification, using the most advanced biotechnology tools such as genomics, alongside a state-of-the-art laboratory structure and a highly specialized team.
With a business model focused on pioneering and innovative research, Sakata has been launching high-performance vegetable and flower cultivars every year since its inception. These cultivars incorporate essential traits for productivity and profitability, such as disease resistance, ease of cultivation, and adaptability to challenging production scenarios - including climate change and sustainable agriculture demands - along with consumer-valued attributes such as color, flavor, visual quality, and longer post-harvest shelf life.
SAKATA'S PLANT PATHOLOGY CLINIC
Sakata also stands out for offering one of the most comprehensive plant health diagnostic services in the industry - free of charge - to its clients and partners, helping to identify diseases affecting crops. This service has been available to growers for over 30 years. During this time, more than 45,000 samples have been analyzed, generating a bank of pathogen isolates composed of fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes. This pathogen collection is considered the largest in Brazil for vegetables and flowers and is available for exchange with universities, research institutes, and partner companies to stimulate scientific development, enhance pathogen knowledge, and improve disease control techniques.
Samples are either mailed or personally delivered to Sakata's Experimental Station in Bragança Paulista (SP), where specific analyses are carried out. Results are then forwarded to Sakata's sales team and partners to be shared with growers. With this service, Sakata helps identify the issue and develops the best strategy to control the pathogen - an essential first step toward effective disease management.
In doing so, growers can maximize the performance of the genetics present in Sakata's seeds. Furthermore, the clinic's monitoring of pathogen occurrences generates and adds valuable information to Sakata's breeding program, supporting the development of new cultivars that are more resistant to emerging pathogens.
It's also worth noting that, in addition to its legacy and the volume of analyses conducted, the technical excellence of the Plant Pathology Clinic sets it apart. The clinic is staffed by a team of highly qualified professionals dedicated to phytopathological issues in vegetables and flowers. The company also operates a fully equipped laboratory capable of performing diagnostics using the latest techniques available in the industry.
To learn more about how to send samples to the Plant Pathology Clinic, contact Sakata's sales team or commercial partners.