With over 10,000 varieties of tomato world-wide it is important to know how to trial and identify these different varieties.
How do I do this?
With trials it is effective to start with a few plants of a selection of types that you would like to compare with current ranges. When trialing varieties, ask yourself these questions…
- Are they different?
- Is the taste unique?
- Will this variety consistently produce annually?
- Are the plants more susceptible to P&D issues?
- Which customer will want to try it?
The answer to these questions decides whether the tomato will make it to a main variety, so they are extremely decisive in the status of a tomato. Deciding a tomatoes variety can take up to 5 years. So make sure that you stick to the questions!
