crossing for flavour

michael johnson · May 16, 2006

Which way cross would any of you advise regarding a very sweet cherry tom , and a large heirloom variety with the aim to get the cherry type flavour into the larger variety.

Would it be better to cross the smaller cherry pollen onto the large variety, or cross the large variety pollen onto the small cherry.

I am not realy after a larger cherry type, but rather a sweeter large tomato of the heirloom type.

If I did it cherry into larger type, then back crossed the cherry into the resulting progeny would I eventualy get medium sized sweet tomatoes.

Organic_Nut · May 16, 2006

I say yes. but everything might depend on the specific parents you chose.

One trick to consider is that you can keep the tomato alive by rooting some cuttings and growing them on. thus you keep the mom and or dad alive and you can cross back to the exact same mom or dad.

I dont know if this would help or not but my guess is that it would help to still have the original mom and or dad alive. I believe most genetic works talk about breeding back to the original. now I guess that can be the original exact same plant or I guess the original strain but a different exact same parent.

I dont think there is really a wrong way. the results will mostly depend on your choices as you go along. just take the best choice you can at each point.

May 16, 2006	#1
michael johnson Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: UK. Posts: 960	crossing for flavour Which way cross would any of you advise regarding a very sweet cherry tom , and a large heirloom variety with the aim to get the cherry type flavour into the larger variety. Would it be better to cross the smaller cherry pollen onto the large variety, or cross the large variety pollen onto the small cherry. I am not realy after a larger cherry type, but rather a sweeter large tomato of the heirloom type. If I did it cherry into larger type, then back crossed the cherry into the resulting progeny would I eventualy get medium sized sweet tomatoes.

May 16, 2006	#2
Organic_Nut Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Mass Zone 5 495 @ Rt 2 Posts: 60	I say yes. but everything might depend on the specific parents you chose. One trick to consider is that you can keep the tomato alive by rooting some cuttings and growing them on. thus you keep the mom and or dad alive and you can cross back to the exact same mom or dad. I dont know if this would help or not but my guess is that it would help to still have the original mom and or dad alive. I believe most genetic works talk about breeding back to the original. now I guess that can be the original exact same plant or I guess the original strain but a different exact same parent. I dont think there is really a wrong way. the results will mostly depend on your choices as you go along. just take the best choice you can at each point.