According to Diego Aliaga, head of the Agroforestry Innovation Center at the Universidad Científica del Sur (UCS), research on micro-tomatoes is progressing positively. "Trials were carried out with four varieties, and the Solanum pimpinellifolium variety was chosen. It was used to start the development of seedlings and was concatenated with the subsequent evaluation of these tomatoes. We are also working to promote, manage, and put the product on the market," he stated.
One of the characteristics of the micro-tomato studied by UCS is that its caliber is smaller than the cherry tomato and can measure just a couple of centimeters. "We've used them in salads and sautéed them. Now we are going to deliver some small batches to some well-known chefs so that they give us their verdict on their gastronomic potential. I believe they provide an explosion of flavors in one bite. They have a similar acidity and contrast as cherry tomatoes, but they're smaller and have an important aesthetic aspect that can be of value."
The idea of the pilot is to quickly obtain a complete profile of this crop's phenology, as well as the technical profile necessary to increase this crop's productive capacity.
So far, the crop has shown its versatility since it has developed well in the Villa Campus of the UCS, which is 150 meters above sea level, after having been collected at 350 meters above sea level in the valley of the Chillón river, in the area of Santa Rosa de Quives (Canta). This could imply that their behavior is similar to common tomato crops found along the southern coast.
Source: agraria.pe