Dr. Kanti Rawal is the founder of California Hybrids and the lead researcher for new product varieties.

With over three decades of experience, he is considered one of the preeminent scientists in the field of tomato breeding. Dr. Kanti was the head of Calgene’s tomato research division and had spent many years previously at Del Monte as a key member of their research team. Dr. Kanti received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

Dr. Kanti’s career began in Nigeria at the Rockefeller Foundation’s tropical agriculture initiative, the IITA. He then moved to the University of Colorado, Boulder and Colorado State University, Fort Collins before accepting a position at Del Monte.

He is noted not only for his scientific acumen but also for his creativity and spunk. An avid breeder, Dr. Kanti spends hours with growers in the field as well as at farmers’ markets, conventions and trade shows getting first-hand feedback on the vigor and taste of his varieties. Dr. Kanti enjoys the consumer as much as the product. He has infused this ethos into California Hybrids.

The holder of several tomato patents, Dr. Kanti is also the subject of Arthur Allen’s upcoming book on the tomato industry, Ripe, which will be available March 2010.