The De Ruiter Experience Center (DEC) is Vegetable by Bayer’s innovation hub for protected vegetable cultivation, located in the Netherlands. It showcases advanced tomato and cucumber varieties, collecting data from 2500+ plots and supporting data-driven and sustainable horticultural solutions.
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About
At De Ruiter, we believe that by combining our customers passion with our expertise and unique technology we can grow a true piece of art together... Discover the beauty of De Ruiter tomatoes with us!
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Innovation
Seed Quality Knowledge Center
High-quality seeds mean high performance for youStriving for excellence and high quality is central to our people and processes. Quality is in our DNA. It’s in our core. This means when you plant our seeds, you can start the season with the confidence of high quality and high performance.
Leading the way in advanced horticultural solutions
Located in the Netherlands and inaugurated in 2018, the De Ruiter Experience Center (DEC) is Vegetables by Bayer’s innovation center dedicated to protected vegetable cultivation. With a spacious setup of 7,200 square meters dedicated to tomato and an additional 7,200 square meters for cucumber, the DEC enhances Vegetables by Bayer’s commitment to protected growers and strengthens our pipeline of innovative solutions.
Join us to explore the cutting-edge innovation behind our varieties and get hands-on with the future of protected cultivation!
The DEC Experience
Touch, feel, taste
In our Market, you will have the chance to taste different tomato and cucumber varieties, and experience their textures, flavors, and colors. It is a great opportunity to compare, explore, and better understand what sets each variety apart.
Knowledge transfer
Meet the DEC team and gain valuable insights into our varieties and their key traits. Our experts will share their extensive technical knowledge in advanced protected cultivation and answer your questions to help you grow smarter and more efficiently.
Discovery
Get a first-hand look at our trial data and see how our varieties perform in real glasshouse conditions. Walk through the crops, see how different varieties grow, and understand their behavior and adaptability in real-life conditions.
What drives us at the DEC
Innovation
At the DEC, we collect data from 2,500+ tomato and cucumber plots to evaluate genetic performance in high-tech and traditional glasshouses and support data-driven, sustainable horticulture.
Key innovation highlights
1. Development of ToBRFV-resistant tomato varieties
2. Advanced rootstock trialing with improved endurance, plant vigor and resistances
3. Screening and evaluation of new cucumber breeding material
4. Digital data collection and visualization to support growing strategies
5. Sensory technology for faster understanding of new varieties
6. Advanced harvesting and greenhouse technologies for sustainable growing
Sustainability
We drive sustainable horticulture by testing innovative varieties and cultivation systems that lower environmental impact and boost energy efficiency for the future of glasshouse production.
Key sustainability highlights
1. Energy-efficient lighting with dimmable LEDs, reducing energy by 30%
2. Clear and diffuse screens enabling over 40% energy saving
3. Thermal energy from solar sources for sustainable heating
4. CO2 and heating by renewable resources (geothermal and biomass)
5. 1,000 floating solar panels to support energy self-sufficiency
6. Sustainable water disinfection with UV technology, reducing chemical use
Discover more about what we do
News from the Experience Centre
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can schedule a guided visit to explore our facilities, see crops growing in real glasshouses, and interact with our experts. A virtual tour option is also available for remote visitors.
The De Ruiter Experience Center (DEC) focuses primarily on tomatoes and cucumbers. Visitors can discover innovations in ToBRFV resistance, rootstock endurance, sustainable lighting, renewable energy use, digital data collection and more.
At the De Ruiter Experience Center (DEC), we drive sustainable horticulture by testing innovative varieties with high yield potential and low environmental impact. Moreover, we test and implement sustainable cultivation solutions such as dimmable LED lighting, solar and geothermal heating, renewable CO₂ sources, water disinfection via UV, and floating solar panels to reduce environmental impact.