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Texans Hope to Create ‘Best-Ever’ Tomato for Gardeners
Tomato project leader by Carlos Avila, Ph.D., and improved Texas A&M tomatoes on the vine

A ‘Best-Ever’ Tomato? It’s Not in Your Garden … Yet

July 6, 2023

POTTSTOWN PA – If you’re spending time growing a tomato crop this summer, and it’s proving to be a disappointment, don’t despair. Future help may be on the way from Texas.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has given part of a $16.2 million grant to a research project at Texas A&M University, it announced Wednesday (July 5, 2023). The study’s goal: to develop “the ‘holy grail’ of tomatoes.”

The university’s AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco has been given the job of breeding a best-ever tomato. So far, that’s defined as one with exceptional “tomato firmness, shelf life, (and) nutritional value.” If that tomato can be grown anywhere, from western Montgomery County to western Montana and beyond, it’s likely to be considered a winner.

The trait for superior tomato firmness has already been created at the AgriLife center, which was among its qualifications for the grant. Now its efforts will be “to dissect the genetics and effects on human health attributes, flavor, and aroma” that relate to the firmer product. It hopes to combine the results to yield a potential super tomato, long sought by agricultural producers and consumers.

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“Development of flavorful and nutritious tomatoes with a long shelf life, good appearance, and high yield would lead to increased tomato consumption,” Weslaco AgriLife Center Director Dirk Hays, Ph.D., observes. In turn, he adds, they would “contribute to healthier lives for consumers, and improved livelihoods for producers.”

Previous tomato improvement attempts with the genes that delay softening have had the unfortunate effect of negatively affecting fruit color, flavor, and human health attributes, according to project leader by Carlos Avila, Ph.D., an associate professor in vegetable breeding at Weslaco.

Avila reports the newest AgriLife tomato line produces a firm tomato that does not “leak” when sliced or diced. It also shows a uniformly red color. Both are traits highly desired by the industry and consumers. Improving aroma and taste are next.

Photo provided by the Texas A&M University AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco

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Local and Regional News

Looking for free local news? Your choices are somewhat limited. See these sources:

The PCTV Network. PCTV, headquartered in Pottstown, provides local television programming in western Montgomery, northern Chester, and eastern Berks counties.

Digital Notebook. Pottstown resident Evan Brandt is the sole reporter for the venerable Pottstown Mercury newspaper. For many years, until February 2022, he offered observations about happenings in the borough and elsewhere. They remain valuable from a historical perspective.

North Penn Now. Covers municipalities primarily within Montgomery County's North Penn School District: Hatfield township and borough, Lansdale, North Wales, Montgomery, Towamencin and Upper Gwynedd.

Montgomery Daily Voice. Covers municipalities in eastern Montgomery County: Abington, Cheltenham, Horsham, Lower Merion, Lower Providence, Montgomery, Upper Dublin, and Upper Merion townships, and Norristown.

MyChesCo. MyChesCo has covered Chester County news since 2017.

Berks Community Television. Covers Berks County.

Spotlight PA. An investigative news service for Pennsylvania, supported by several news organizations statewide.

Philly Voice. Covers Philadelphia and the suburbs.

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