Koen van der Knaap

Koen van der Knaap is a highly experienced plant breeder specializing in tomato cultivation, currently serving as the Lead Tomato Breeder at Harmoniz since May 2023. Previous roles include ten years at Axia Vegetable Seeds, where responsibilities encompassed oversight of high-tech breeding programs in Poland and China, along with international breeding programs in Thailand. Additionally, Koen has held various positions in plant breeding and operational management at Combinations (now Evanthia) and contributed to research during academic studies at Wageningen University & Research, where a master's thesis focused on quantifying resistance levels in tomato against Oidium neolycopersici. Education includes an MSc. in Plant Breeding from Wageningen University, complemented by extensive hands-on experience in production management and crop cultivation techniques.