BASF | Nunhems expands lettuce breeding capabilities with new automated greenhouse in ’s-Gravenzande

• Investment supports innovation in the growing high-tech teen leaf lettuce segment 
• Breeding station ‘s-Gravenzande further strengthens its position as BASF | Nunhems’ lettuce innovation hub 

’s-Gravenzande, the Netherlands, October 6, 2026 – BASF's vegetable seeds business, operating under the Nunhems® brand, has completed a new automated greenhouse facility in ’s-Gravenzande. The investment expands the company's capacity to develop lettuce varieties for high-tech cultivation systems and supports the continued growth of the teen leaf lettuce segment.
The new green automation system expands the site’s existing capabilities and enables breeders to evaluate significantly more breeding material using fewer seeds. By generating larger and more robust datasets earlier in the breeding process, the system supports faster and more informed selection decisions, helping accelerate the development of improved lettuce varieties for growers.
"The high-tech lettuce market continues to grow, and innovation remains essential to stay ahead," said Peter Does, Product Developer at BASF | Nunhems. "This investment strengthens our ability to develop and select new varieties for one of the fastest-growing lettuce segments worldwide, while helping us respond more quickly to the evolving needs of growers."
 
Supporting innovation in high-tech lettuce production
The new facility focuses on high-tech teen leaf lettuce, a segment that continues to expand rapidly as growers increasingly adopt controlled-environment production systems. 
BASF | Nunhems has been active in this segment since its early development and has worked closely with pioneering growers to develop varieties specifically suited to high-density cultivation systems. Today, varieties such as Finstar and Arcticstar reflect that expertise and are helping growers optimize performance in some of the world’s most advanced indoor lettuce production systems. 
Strengthening breeding station ’s-Gravenzande as a lettuce innovation hub
The investment marks another important step in the development of the breeding station in ’s-Gravenzande as BASF | Nunhems' dedicated centre for lettuce breeding and product development. “The additional capacity allows us to evaluate more breeding material and identify promising selections earlier in the process. This helps us develop stronger varieties faster and bring innovations to market more efficiently,” said Peter. 
The greenhouse has already been planted with its first crop and will soon be showcased to customers and visitors. 
 
About BASF Agricultural Solutions  
Everything we do, we do for the love of farming. Farming is fundamental to provide sufficient and affordable food for a rapidly growing population, while reducing environmental impacts. That’s why we are working with partners and experts to integrate sustainability criteria into all business decisions. With €990 million in 2025, we invest in a strong R&D pipeline, and our solutions are purpose-designed for different crop systems. Connecting seeds and traits, crop protection products, digital tools and sustainability approaches, to help deliver the best possible outcomes for farmers, growers and stakeholders along the value chain. In 2025, our business generated sales of €9.6 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or our social media channels.
 
About BASF 
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 95,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €60 billion in 2025. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.