been accepted by the industry, becoming the #1 variety in California. SUN 6366.
The #1 Processing Tomato in California. New Commercial Release. For 2010.
PROCESSING TOMATO FLAVOR Disease Watch continued...
Initial results in the testing of Luna Sensation show that the fungicides in the product not only bind to the plant surface, but also show a level of systemic control. Foliar sprays result in the fungicide being taken up by the leaves and stems. The Luna component absorbed by the stem then moves into the xylem transport system and is distributed through the plant to help with controlling the infection. She also adds that the two active ingredients in Luna Sensation work in synergy, providing more control together than they would separately. Keep an eye out for this new tool possibly in late 2010, which would be a benefit to professionals in controlling serious Powdery Mildew infections. Note: Lorianne Fought, Ph.D., with Bayer CropScience, contributed most of the information contained in this article. Dr. Fought is the Site Supervisor and Plant Pathologist for the Bayer CropScience research facility in California. Nunhems is a subsidiary of Bayer Crop Science.
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For additional information contact Nunhems USA customer service at 800.733.9505 or at www.nunhemsusa.com
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Processing Tomatoes Crop Team (USA) Crop Sales Manager Product Specialist Trial Specialist
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Tomato Flavor What’s new with Nunhems processing tomatoes | 2010 WH AT ’ S
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Nunhems, a subsidiary of Bayer CropScience, is the global specialist in vegetable genetics and services. As a globally integrated group of teams Nunhems builds unique customer relationships and shares products, concepts and expertise with the professional horticultural production industry and supply chain. Its portfolio includes leading varieties and brands in crops such as leek, onion, carrot, melon, cucumber, tomato, watermelon, lettuce, pepper and chicory witloof. Nunhems is among the world’s leading vegetable seed companies with an extensive range of 28 species and some 2,500 varieties. With more than 1,400 people Nunhems is present in all major vegetable production areas in the world.
In This Issue:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to read the full Limitation of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranties found at www.nunhemsUSA.com or available upon request from Nunhems USA, Inc. (Nunhems) before buying or using Nunhems seeds. Technical data, comments, advice, testimonials and graphic or other representations of the seeds and fruit there from included herein are offered without charge or warranty of any kind either express or implied, including, but not limited to, fitness for a particular purpose and merchantability. Technical data shown is solely a compilation of observations from various geographic areas, conditions, and laboratory tests. Growing results, including varietal characteristics and performance, vary depending upon a wide range of environmental conditions and growing practices. Nunhems DOES NOT GUARANTEE growing success and disclaims any warranty and disclaims all liability for such data and advice.
SUN 6366 reached the pinnacle of variety dominance in 2009, delivering over 109,800 loads to processors in California. This propelled SUN 6366 to become the number one variety grown in the state of California, as reported by the Processing Tomato Advisory Board by total loads delivered to California processors. It has been an incredible ride for the number one variety in the state, which began in 2004 when SUN 6366 was in the last year of evaluation in the Nunhems trial system.
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SUN 6366 the #1 Processing Tomato in California Breeding 101: Success Needs Time and Expertise Disease Watch: Powdery Mildew
SUN 6366 The #1 Processing Tomato in California
SUN 6366 is an extremely adaptable variety and has successfully silenced the myth that a high tonnage crop of tomatoes cannot have a high level of brix and fruit quality. The 2004 tomato season was the first year loads of SUN 6366 were harvested and delivered to
N 6394 is a mid-season maturing variety, which reaches full
Processing Tomato Flavor: SUN 6366: The #1 Processing Tomato in California Breeding 101: Success Needs Time and Expertise Disease Watch: Powdery Mildew
2010 the global specialist
About Nunhems
New Commercial Release For 2010
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maturity at 125 days. This is the second commercial release in two years from Nunhems that carries the gene for resistance to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. After two years of trial evaluation, N 6394 is being advanced because it produces very good yields of high quality fruit. The fruit delivers processors high brix levels, medium viscosity, and the potential to be used in peel and diced tomato applications. Last season, this variety averaged 5.46 brix statewide, throughout 19 locations. In 2009, 77 loads of N 6394 were
processors. Those initial 118 loads delivered to processors averaged 5.52 brix. That is not too far from the averages of today, where California tomato growers delivered over 109,800 loads to processors, averaging 5.58 brix, 0.9% mold, and 1.7% limited use. The consistency that this variety provides both growers and processors is what has driven this varieties’ success. During the six tomato seasons between 2004 and 2009, SUN 6366 has delivered over 208,000 loads to processors, averaging 5.56 brix. The California processing tomato industry has accepted these genetics because they provide excellent yields of harvestable fruit to the professional tomato grower, and high quality fruit to tomato processors which can be used in a wide range of products. SUN 6366 not only provides excellent field yield and quality, it also provides a true mid-season maturity at 118 days. With the standard disease resistance package (VFFNP) and tremendous yield potential, it’s no wonder this has been accepted by the industry, becoming the #1 variety in California.
delivered to processors in California, averaging 5.41 brix. The added resistance to TSWV will help growers in the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys combat this virus where other conventional varieties may have problems delivering quality fruit because of damage from Tomato Spotted Wilt pressure. Whether you need a very high yielding variety for viscosity products (N 6385), or a very good yielding variety for high brix, multi-use products (N 6394), both with the added protection of Tomato Spotted Wilt Resistance, Nunhems has the genetic tools to help you succeed.
PROCESSING TOMATO FLAVOR
2010
Breeding 101: Success Needs Time and Expertise By Dr. Steve Schroeder Nunhems Tomato Breeder The days of tomato breeding being cheap and easy are long gone. In today’s world, it takes a considerable amount of resources and years to come up with an improved variety. Here is a summary of the process. As you are probably aware, tomato varieties are hybrid. Seed is made by crossing together two inbred ‘parent lines’ and the resulting seed is an F1 hybrid. F1 hybrids have been shown to be more consistent for yield and quality and easier to combine disease resistance genes.
We test approximately 500 new varieties each year and over the course of four years, whittle this group down to just a handful of new varieties. A new variety has to be improved in some manner from currently used varieties. We are not in the business of creating “me-too” varieties. In fact, we prefer to have several improvements at once without compromising other traits.
Powdery Mildew has become an annual concern for the California tomato industry, and can have some serious consequences for professional tomato growers. The pathogen (Leveillula taurica) can infect tomatoes and peppers, and can travel great distances through wind currents in the air. The pathogen can thrive with the combination of high daytime temperatures and cool nights.
So what is the key in protecting your processing tomatoes against being devastated by Powdery Mildew? Early application and control is the key. Because the Powdery Mildew strain we see in California has changed and become much stronger (conversations with Gene Miyao, UC Davis Cooperative Extension), Dr. Lorianne Fought, with Bayer CropScience, emphasizes resistance management.
At Nunhems, we have a global tomato breeding program and an extensive fresh market program, which helps with developing varieties for California. How?
Plants infected by Powdery Mildew can suffer from lower yields, smaller fruit size, and sunburned fruit, in addition to becoming completely defoliated. It can make a beautiful tomato crop very ugly, fast!
Simply put, professional growers should rotate fungicides with different modes of action and use the application rates specified on the labels for each fungicide to minimize the opportunity for the pathogen to develop resistance to the fungicides.
➤ We can utilize field test locations in various countries that aid in determining new varieties strengths and weaknesses for California. ➤ We consider all the developments in molecular breeding and disease resistance for fresh market tomatoes that might be useful in developing processing varieties. ➤ We have a tomato “pre-breeding” program which looks at related tomato species for new genes for yield, quality, or disease resistance. ➤ We have a food lab, cell biology, and seed technology departments to assist in breeding as certain technologies apply.
“We have a food lab, cell biology, and seed technology departments to assist in breeding as certain technologies apply.” Seed production of F1 hybrids is done by hand pollination. Each tomato flower has to be emasculated (pollen bearing parts removed) and then pollinated by the matching male parent. This is an expensive and tedious process and requires two years advance planning and production in Asia. At Nunhems, we start by developing the parent lines years in advance of the final variety. It takes several years to develop the parent lines, even when the process is sped up by using winter time greenhouses and a winter breeding nursery in Chile. Parent lines have to be tested thoroughly for disease resistance genes and for yield and quality traits. We utilize plant pathologists for disease resistance testing and molecular breeding scientists to speed up the selection process. Molecular breeding involves the use of genetic (DNA) markers to track certain genes for key characteristics. Once parent lines are developed, we can decide which ones to intercross to create new hybrid varieties. Characteristics of each parent line are noted and are the determining factor to decide which lines to intercross. There are many traits that are important to the success or failure of a new variety, so it is important to do this job carefully. Skill and experience certainly help here.
Disease Watch: Powdery Mildew-Control is the Key
But most importantly, we have an extensive trial program with growers in California where we can put new varieties out in the real world and really see what they can do. We extend our many thanks to the growers in California who assist us in trials in the quest for better varieties.
“So what is the key in protecting your processing tomatoes against being devastated by Powdery Mildew? Early application and control is the key.” The infection can occur in young plants, but may not express itself immediately. Perhaps younger plants have stronger defenses as they concentrate their resources in developing a strong plant structure. When the plant begins to focus on developing fruit, its resources are split between growth and fruit development; therefore, less resources are available to combat pathogen infections. When tomato plants are under stress, such as during fruit set and production, Powdery Mildew infections can increase dramatically in plant tissue. In addition, at fruit set, the tomato plant canopy is denser providing a more humid environment for Powdery Mildew development.
Trial Varieties to Watch for 2010 Nunhems has advanced three varieties into a final year of evaluation. The varieties all have potential for the California tomato industry, but have very different characteristics. These three varieties are targeted to become commercially available for the 2011 tomato season.
N 6397
N 6397 is a second-early maturing variety, reaching
N 6398
A proactive fungicide program is critical to defeating Powdery Mildew infections. In general, a good time to begin fungicide applications is when the plant begins setting fruit. So, early applications and staying on top of your control program are very important in managing this disease. The professionals at Bayer CropScience are currently in the process of registering a new fungicide product called Luna Sensation. “Most currently registered fungicides are not systemic,” says Dr. Fought. continued on back cover...
good internal color. These characteristics will help processors who look to begin the season with high quality multi-use tomatoes for whole peeled and paste products. This variety will be evaluated on the front end of the 2010 tomato season to get a strong indication about maturity.
N 6398 is a mid-season maturing variety, reaching full maturity at 125 days. In addition to the full
disease resistance package, this variety carries the gene for resistance to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. N 6398 will produce a medium-large vine and excellent yields of very firm fruit. Processors will receive medium-large sized fruit, with medium brix, and very high viscosity.
full maturity at 114-116 days. This variety produces a large, lush vine and excellent yields of high quality fruit, for an early maturing variety. With 31 samples tested, N 6397 averaged 5.21 brix during the 2009 tomato season across 15 locations statewide. The medium-sized fruit are very uniform, have a smooth shoulder, and very N 6400
N 6400 is another mid-season maturing variety, reaching full maturity at 125 days. This variety produces a medium-large vine and excellent yields of high quality fruit. The fruit are large, extremely firm, have a smooth shoulder, and have a very nice oval-round shape. The fruit should provide processors with excellent potential for peel and diced products, while also providing very high viscosity for paste products. N 6400 will provide professional tomato growers and processors a great alternative to mid and full-season maturing varieties that deliver high viscosity, and high quality fruit for multi-use applications.
