"When I asked people what they wanted, they said 'a faster horse'". This is a well-known, yet widely misunderstood, quote from Henry Ford. It is difficult to know what people want. Ben Silvertand, a tomato breeder at Bayer CropScience Vegetable Seeds knows this better than most. He regularly discusses the ideal tomato with different growers. And as it turns out: 100 growers, 100 wishes. Where one wants growth strength and soil settlement to ensure as high a volume as possible, another wants taste and aroma to distinguish themselves in the market. Yet another wants their plants to have good resistance since access to resources is only going to become more restricted.
It is a tricky situation for Silvertand: he not only has to meet all these different needs, but he has to try and guess at the situation in ten years.
"The varieties we are working on at the moment can only be introduced in 8 - 10 years. Five years, maybe, but then you risk having mistakes - and it is important to have constant, qualitative varieties. Especially in the pre-breeding phase, before we start with the actual breeding, the input of growers is imperative." And even then it is sometimes difficult to make the right decision. "In 2008, for example, we expected the moisture retention quality of the Intense tomato to make it very attractive, but the market was not ready. It is only gaining popularity now."
New bunch tomatoes
The Bayer CropScience breeders have, however, focused on bunch tomatoes at the right time. The two commercial trials of 1 and trial 2 varieties can be seen this year at two TOV-centers (tomato on the vine centres). One has been established at Roel and Bart de Bakker in Kwintsheul, the other at Tom Vlaemynck in Deinze, Belgium. The location at 's-Gravenzande, which was used to showcase varieties, has been fitted with lighting and will be used specifically for breeding. "We want to breed specific varieties that can be used for cultivation under grow lights. We do not want to use standard varieties", says Harm Ammerlaa of Bayer. "In the upcoming season, 40% of the tomato crops will use grow lights, in Belgium it is 20%. This is going to increase globally, so we are focusing on this in the breeding process. In addition, we can test the varieties in a controlled environment at the TOV-centres."
NUN 09196 and NUN 09194
This year, there are two trial-varieties in the greenhouses that breeders see great potential in. The first is the NUN 09194, which, according to Harm, offers an alternative in the elite segment. "By its gloss and colour. It is a jointless variety, but in a bunch, it looks like a jointed tomato." In terms of production, the NUN 09194 cannot be classified as a main variety, it is a quality variant. "It is somewhat finer than the main variety, but delivers two more bunches." The NUN 09194 is currently being tested in France, but the NUN 09196 has been placed in several places in the Netherlands.
NUN 09194 and NUN 09196
For more information:
Bayer
bayer.com
New bunch tomatoes
The Bayer CropScience breeders have, however, focused on bunch tomatoes at the right time. The two commercial trials of 1 and trial 2 varieties can be seen this year at two TOV-centers (tomato on the vine centres). One has been established at Roel and Bart de Bakker in Kwintsheul, the other at Tom Vlaemynck in Deinze, Belgium. The location at 's-Gravenzande, which was used to showcase varieties, has been fitted with lighting and will be used specifically for breeding. "We want to breed specific varieties that can be used for cultivation under grow lights. We do not want to use standard varieties", says Harm Ammerlaa of Bayer. "In the upcoming season, 40% of the tomato crops will use grow lights, in Belgium it is 20%. This is going to increase globally, so we are focusing on this in the breeding process. In addition, we can test the varieties in a controlled environment at the TOV-centres."
NUN 09196 and NUN 09194
This year, there are two trial-varieties in the greenhouses that breeders see great potential in. The first is the NUN 09194, which, according to Harm, offers an alternative in the elite segment. "By its gloss and colour. It is a jointless variety, but in a bunch, it looks like a jointed tomato." In terms of production, the NUN 09194 cannot be classified as a main variety, it is a quality variant. "It is somewhat finer than the main variety, but delivers two more bunches." The NUN 09194 is currently being tested in France, but the NUN 09196 has been placed in several places in the Netherlands.
NUN 09194 and NUN 09196
For more information:
Bayer
bayer.com