For African growers, what varieties do you recommend?

[ScottinAtlanta]

I met a gentleman from the Cabinet Office in Zambia who wants to try some new tomatoes in his farm. I told him I would send some seeds when I had IDd some varieties that he might grow. What do you succeed with in similar climates of Africa?

He says that clients are very conservative, so he was not very positive about non-red tomatoes. They also don't like large beefsteaks there - since many houses do not have fridges, they like smaller tomatoes (salad, slicers) that they will use in a single meal.

I will probably send him some Jaunne Flamme just to test the market there.

Lusaka: 10 C to 30 C over the year.
Irrigated plot.

[Fusion_power]

Druzba, Lynnwood, Cherokee Purple, and Bloody Butcher

[creister]

Sioux, break o day, super Sioux, Matina, Morovsky Div, Kimberley, Clear Pink Early, VB Russian, Hanky Red. I have extra seeds for all of these except Break O Day. Most are older, between 5- 10 years. Super Sioux are saved from 2014. If you want any of the ones I have, pm me.

Curt

[Redbaron]

The miracle BPF

[ScottinAtlanta]

Folks, what are those recommendations based on?

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

Folks, what are those recommendations based on?

I recommended The miracle BPF because it is a small red productive determinate that can handle the heat and the cool without a lot of pampering, outside inputs, staking etc... It's a small plant that doesn't take a lot of nitrogen. With a small red fruit that has good old fashioned flavor. It is pretty early allowing both a spring and a fall crop, depending when to plant. Just put down a thick mulch and plant your seedlings in it. You are done till harvest. In that climate you might even be able to get 3 crops. Hard to say. Would take some experimenting.

It wouldn't be good for shipping. It is too soft and juicy. But for what you described it should be ideal.

Now if he needs shipping qualities too, Rutgers is the standby. There is a reason it at one time was 70% of the commercial crop here in USA.

[creister]

Color for all red, size requirements, taste, productive, and op so they can save seeds and grow the same type in successive years.

[KarenO]

Oh I see, I thought you meant for personal gardening, not as a commercial farming crop.
If so then I would say send seed for any shorter season tomato you think he'd like something, moravsky div or any of the other early inderterminates. For market. maybe determinates might be better though? If so, maybe hybrids would be a better bet for production. I looked at the climate and it would seem that there is a shorter (3 month) moderate temperature season between the rainy season and the hot/dry season so I would say shorter season determinate hybrid varieties might do better but I would depend a great deal on the gardener and where they are planted, access to water, soil type, fertilizer, insect pests etc. I would also think peppers might do very well in that climate.
I think it's cool that you meet so many people from all over the world.
KarenO

[Redbaron]

Karen,
I took it completely different. I thought he meant small farmers, similar to market farmers here. Maybe Scott should enlighten us a bit so we are all on the same page?

[AlittleSalt]

I'm thinking older established market tomatoes like Rutgers and Homestead.

[Fusion_power]

Folks, what are those recommendations based on?

Size, Shape, Color, and history. I sent seed of about 30 varieties to South Africa a few years ago. 3 of the 4 named above were preferred varieties. I know South Africa is half a continent away from Zambia, but the climate is similar enough that they should work.

If you had asked for paste varieties, I would have suggested Heidi which originated in a similar climate.

[Blk_Vegan]

Based on the criteria you mentioned I would suggest the following:
Goose Creek
Homestead 24
Eva Purple Ball
Rutgers
Bradley
Druzba
Arkansas Traveler
Stupice
Neptune

[Cole_Robbie]

Here's the link to the Ag department of The University of Zambia:
http://www.unza.zm/schools/agricultu...-of-staff.html

There's several email addresses of the faculty. They might be able to help.

The next place I would have your friend look is his local farmer's market.

Search of Google images for Zambia tomatoes:

http://www.theeverydaymagic.com/wp-c...vegetables.jpg

http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources...=AJOE82S0TIJ00

http://www.pedalingnowhere.com/wordp...-zambia-26.jpg

For the same reasons Scott (RedBaron) suggests miracle BPF, I suggest Moravsky Div. It doesn't have good taste, but it does have fantastic taste and great production. I have no idea how it will perform in the climate of Zambia. If the climate is hot and humid like Florida, I would also suggest Homestead which is proven to work in that climate. Rutgers is also good, but I tend to think of it as more of a New Jersey type tomato. I also think a surprisingly good smaller tomato is Black and Brown Boar. Again, I have no idea how it will perform in the climate of Zambia and it isn't the most productive variety in my garden, but each tomato is like finding a beautiful, small jewell in appearance and taste.

Ted

[AlittleSalt]

After rereading this thread, it made me think of a list I had made for earlier DTM tomatoes.

Hybrid: Celebrity 65 DTM, DET, and resistant to V, F, and TMV

Heirloom: Rutgers 72 DTM, DET, resistant to V, F, and ASC