Purple galaxy tomato

[garden patch]

Hi all I was wondering if anyone knows if the purple galaxy tomato seeds can be saved and planted again for the next year? My neighbour gave me some of these purple cherry tomatoes and I was wondering if they are of heirloom variety or hybrid?

[MissS]

Purple Galaxy is neither an heirloom or a hybrid. It is a genetically modified tomato. Can it be open pollinated in future generation? Probably so. It has had snap dragon flower DNA inserted into it. It most likely can grow just as well as Monsanto's GMO corn. The question is do you want to consume an experimental GMO tomato?

[KarenO]

They are not a hybrid. You can save seed.
KarenO

[DK2021]

The GM purple tomato from Norfolk Healthy Produce is just called Purple. It is an inbred ("open pollinated") variety. You can buy them in shops in a few states (not mine) under the brand name "Empress Limited Edition Tomato". I bought seed directly from Norfolk on first release; $10 for 10 seeds. Under terms of the sale, you are allowed to save seed, and even use the seed in a breeding programme, but you may not sell the seed or fruit or offspring.


They are quite pretty, deep purple cherries, about an inch diameter, with generous yields early to mid season. Flavour is just OK. I saved seed (in fact just put away the dry processed seed today) as I don't want to spend the money again, but I'm not sure I'll grow these often. They are pretty in a mixed tomato plate though.


The story behind "Purple Galaxy" was covered by NPR here: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-...ek-controversy


Regarding GM plants, there is no scientific reason for them to be de facto "bad". All eukaryotes (which include animals and plants) have genes from various ancestral sources, including bacteria and viruses. Your own human genome is about 8% viral in origin. Your mitochondria were once endosymbiotic bacteria. Horizontal gene transfer (between two unrelated organisms) turns out to be quite common, if not universal. It's just how biology works.

[MrsJustice]

Good Information everyone. But Please describe the Taste in a way we can understand. Ect Sweet or Sour; maybe even if they taste fruitier than regular tomatoes?

[DK2021]

Purple is on the acidic side, not really sweet compared to some of the other cherries I grew this year (Maglia Rosa, Sungold F1, Lucky Tiger), not distinctively fruity. The last fruit were smaller, 3/4" instead of about an inch, and the skin rather thick and unpleasant. I would only grow these again as a decorative accent, because at their best they are a very vivid purple. But taste-wise there are much better cherries to grow, like Lucky Tiger, which is such a yummy tomato that I will grow it even though it is awful at splitting. Would be fantastic if someone knew how to correct that fault in what's otherwise a great tomato.

[Labradors2]

DK2021, Thanks for the great explanation of flavour. I won't waste my time on this one!

Just wanted you to know that (from the varieties that you enjoy) I think you might like Prairie Fire, another tasty elongated cherry from AP Whaley.

[DK2021]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

DK2021, Thanks for the great explanation of flavour. I won't waste my time on this one!

Just wanted you to know that (from the varieties that you enjoy) I think you might like Prairie Fire, another tasty elongated cherry from AP Whaley.

I've grown Prairie Fire, and yes that's pretty good. I got the seed from Baker Creek.

[DK2021]

The developers of 'Purple" have put out this statement:


https://www.norfolkhealthyproduce.co...7220232b26.pdf


Norfolk Plant Sciences Condemns Unauthorized Sale of Purple Tomato Seeds in Europe
Press Release
August 27, 2024
Norfolk Plant Sciences has recently learned that an individual, identifying himself as Bruno Fournier, is making an unauthorized offering on his Facebook page of what he purports to be our bioengineered Purple Tomato seeds for sale in Europe, where the variety has not yet been registered or submitted for regulatory approval. We have not licensed our product for that use, and in fact state that our product may not be sold or used outside the United States, where it is allowed to be sold and used. We have contacted the seller to demand that he cease and desist from offering our product for sale, and we have also reported this unauthorized activity to the U.S. government and relevant authorities in the European Commission. In the meantime, we urge the European tomato-growing community to refrain from purchasing or growing these seeds.
Norfolk Plant Sciences (NPS), founded by academic scientists, has invested years of meticulous work in developing the Purple Tomato to ensure our variety meets all regulatory requirements for cultivation and consumption in the United States, but not yet in other countries. This year, NPS made our seeds available to gardeners through our US subsidiary, Norfolk Healthy Produce, with clear terms of use: the seeds must remain in the US, and no commercial rights are granted. Our practice in the US has been to allow not-for-profit community-sharing and personal-use breeding of our seeds by home gardeners, while focusing commercially on sale and distribution of seeds, seedlings, and fresh produce with local and regional commercial partners. It pains us that an individual has seen fit to take unfair advantage of our “sharealike” model (inspired by the combination of gardener traditions and trading Grateful Dead concert tapes among fans) by offering our products for sale, and doing so illegally outside of the US.
Unauthorized sale and cultivation of Purple Tomato seeds outside the United States not only violates NPS’s explicit terms and conditions of purchase, but also breaks laws covering plant variety registration, phytosanitary controls, and rules governing cultivation of bioengineered crops.
The unique property of our Purple Tomato is the deep pigmentation throughout the fruit. No other method has been developed that can achieve this enhanced anthocyanin pigment content and associated rich coloration. Any tomato, therefore, that has purple-pigmented flesh, and not just purple skin, is a Norfolk Purple Tomato. This inherent identity preservation means that it’s impossible to confuse any other tomato with those containing our bioengineered trait.
Norfolk Plant Sciences is actively engaged in achieving additional regulatory approvals in territories beyond the US to make our Purple Tomato more widely available. We understand that many gardeners in Europe share the passion to grow Purple Tomatoes; we love that you love them, and we aspire to eventual commercialization in the EU. Until then, we unambiguously and wholeheartedly condemn any unauthorized release of our Purple Tomato in the EU, or anywhere in the world, without necessary regulatory approvals.
Contact:
Nathan Pumplin, CEO, Norfolk Plant Sciences
n.pumplin@norfolkhealthyproduce.com
Eric Ward, Chair, Norfolk Plant Sciences
e.ward@norfolkhealthyproduce.com
About the Companies: Norfolk Plant Sciences, Ltd. develops and markets innovative varieties of fruits and vegetables that deliver exceptional health benefits, taste, and differentiation to consumers and suppliers. Their initial product portfolio leverages plant-based bioengineering to produce tomatoes enriched with anthocyanins, antioxidants found in blueberries, blackberries and eggplants, and known for their numerous health benefits and their role in an anti-inflammatory diet. Norfolk Healthy Produce is the US-based arm producing and distributing
products in the United States.