** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** DEVELOPMENT OF FLAVORFUL AND NUTRITIOUS YET FIRM AND LONG SHELF-LIFE TOMATOES IS THE HOLY GRAIL IN TOMATO IMPROVEMENT. SO FAR, TOMATO GENES CARRYING MUTATIONS BLOCKING ETHYLENE SYNTHESIS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY USED TO MODULATE FRUIT FIRMNESS AND TO EXTEND SHELF-LIFE IN COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE TOMATOES. UNFORTUNATELY, BESIDES THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON DELAYING SOFTENING, THESE GENES NEGATIVELY AFFECT FRUIT COLOR, FLAVOR, AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE. AS A RESULT, IT IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED THAT MOST MODERN TOMATO CULTIVARS HAVE LOST THEIR FLAVOR AND NUTRITIONAL CONTENT AFFECTING CONSUMPTION AND SUPERMARKET SALES. AS OPPOSED TO COMMERCIAL TOMATO CULTIVARS, THE TEXAS A&M TAM-SP18-157 INBRED LINE IS EXTRAORDINARILY FIRM RESULTING IN LONG SHELF-LIFE FRUIT THAT CONSERVES QUALITY SINCE ETHYLENE RIPENING PROCESS IS NOT BLOCKED. TOMATOES FROM THE INBRED LINE ARE CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR HIGH DRY MATTER AND LACK OF LOCULE GEL. THESE CHARACTERISTICS MAKE TOMATOES FROM TAM-SP18-157 EXCEPTIONAL FOR FRESH CONSUMPTION SINCE THEY ARE FIRM AND DO NOT LEAK WHEN SLICED OR DICED, A HIGHLY DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS BY THE INDUSTRY AND CONSUMERS. WHEN USED AS A PARENTAL LINE, THE RESULTING F1 HYBRIDS SHOW ENHANCED FRUIT FIRMNESS, SUGAR & ACID CONTENT, DRY MATTER, AND YIELD. AS PART OF THE PLANT BREEDING FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IMPROVED TASTE, AROMA, OR NUTRITION PRIORITY AREA, THIS PROPOSED PROJECT AIMS TO CHARACTERIZE AND MAP THE EXCEPTIONAL TOMATO TRAITS CONTROLLING LOCULE GEL AND PERICARP FIRMNESS IN TAM-SP18-157 FOR THEIR UTILIZATION IN CULTIVAR DEVELOPMENT. LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO PROMOTE LOCAL PRODUCTION OF HIGH-QUALITY TOMATOES TO KEEP US INDUSTRY COMPETITIVE, INCREASE CONSUMPTION, AND REDUCE THE DEPENDENCY ON IMPORTS.

Texas A&M Agrilife Research, College Station TX

Investigators