Central American Varieties ?

texasjack · July 7, 2012

New to Tomatoville so I hope this is the correct Forum..

Are there any varieties that are native, originate and/or common to Central America ? Particulary interested in indeterminates. If so, are any available in US ?

Thanks

Jack

**Tom Wagner** · July 10, 2012

www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/pi_books/scans/pi135.pdf pages 45 -49 shows some of the collection history of many of the tomatoes collected in Central America/South America during 1938. Most of these tomatoes were collected by H. L. Blood of Utah. I picked up dozens of these accessions when they were being grown out for seed increase near Ames, Iowa beginning in the 1950's onward

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs...o_acc.pl?52988 shows a more useable site to request some of these old tomatoes.

I rarely maintain seed inventory to disperse from my requests but convert them into complicated hybrids....say an OP of the cross (Guatemala x Panama) x (Peru x Argentina)...however even these have been crossed into even more complicated pedigrees. I collected...by myself..several semi wild tomatoes in Costa Rica when I was there nearly 40 years ago, but I doubt if I saved any viable seed.

The problem I saw with Central American tomatoes is that they were unimproved cultivars...seedy...rough shapes...cherries...possessing only a few disease resistance traits but little else. I must grow out these crosses of yesteryear just to offer viable seed of odd pedigrees.

feldon30 · July 10, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasjack

New to Tomatoville so I hope this is the correct Forum..

Are there any varieties that are native, originate and/or common to Central America ? Particulary interested in indeterminates. If so, are any available in US ?

Thanks

Jack

As Tom alluded to, most of them don't get much bigger than a grape.

**Tom Wagner** · July 10, 2012

I looked my Guatemala tomato history....hmmm...PI 112835 collected 1935 in Huehuetenango. I have this one in many pedigrees and some are direct maternal progenies. It made me think of posters like the one below.

PNW_D · July 10, 2012

Here is one I've grown a few times ...... very prolific

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Tegucigalpa

texasjack · July 11, 2012

To: Tom Wagner,Feldon30 and PNW D

Thanks so much for your replies. Collectively you have opened a whole new diminsion to my tomato hobby/obsession. My right brain grows old heirlooms because I'm trying to recapture a childhood memory, but my left brain compels me into the science and challenge of doing the less ordinary. Since your replies I've spent hours reading on the USDA site.

A special thanks for leading me to the SETTfest site and the very regional focus on my little slice of the world.

Tom: By coincidence I know someone who does assistance work to the Maya in Guatemala and knows the Juan Diego described in the article. I may receive seeds from there in the Fall.

Thanks Again

Jack

July 7, 2012	#1
texasjack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Houston Tx Posts: 33	Central American Varieties ? New to Tomatoville so I hope this is the correct Forum.. Are there any varieties that are native, originate and/or common to Central America ? Particulary interested in indeterminates. If so, are any available in US ? Thanks Jack Last edited by texasjack; July 8, 2012 at 04:18 PM.

July 10, 2012	#5
PNW_D Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Coast, Canada Posts: 961	Here is one I've grown a few times ...... very prolific http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Tegucigalpa __________________ D.

July 10, 2012	#2
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/pi_books/scans/pi135.pdf pages 45 -49 shows some of the collection history of many of the tomatoes collected in Central America/South America during 1938. Most of these tomatoes were collected by H. L. Blood of Utah. I picked up dozens of these accessions when they were being grown out for seed increase near Ames, Iowa beginning in the 1950's onward http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs...o_acc.pl?52988 shows a more useable site to request some of these old tomatoes. I rarely maintain seed inventory to disperse from my requests but convert them into complicated hybrids....say an OP of the cross (Guatemala x Panama) x (Peru x Argentina)...however even these have been crossed into even more complicated pedigrees. I collected...by myself..several semi wild tomatoes in Costa Rica when I was there nearly 40 years ago, but I doubt if I saved any viable seed. The problem I saw with Central American tomatoes is that they were unimproved cultivars...seedy...rough shapes...cherries...possessing only a few disease resistance traits but little else. I must grow out these crosses of yesteryear just to offer viable seed of odd pedigrees.

July 11, 2012	#6
texasjack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Houston Tx Posts: 33	To: Tom Wagner,Feldon30 and PNW D Thanks so much for your replies. Collectively you have opened a whole new diminsion to my tomato hobby/obsession. My right brain grows old heirlooms because I'm trying to recapture a childhood memory, but my left brain compels me into the science and challenge of doing the less ordinary. Since your replies I've spent hours reading on the USDA site. A special thanks for leading me to the SETTfest site and the very regional focus on my little slice of the world. Tom: By coincidence I know someone who does assistance work to the Maya in Guatemala and knows the Juan Diego described in the article. I may receive seeds from there in the Fall. Thanks Again Jack