Joseph's Tomato Experiments

[joseph]

Harry: Thanks for the grow report. The purplish skin is a surprise to me. The plant is potato-leaved?

[joseph]

The beautifully promiscuously pollinating tomato project is advancing delightfully. Here are photos of a flower that is the archetype for the project. The stigma is highly exposed. The anthers are not connected to each other. And it releases pollen like an allergy factory.

[Harry Cabluck]

Joseph: Yes, "Brad" is potato-leafed. So far, the only one of your three varieties planted here that has yielded vine ripe fruit.

Nice photos by you that show promiscuous tomato blossom, illustrating very well what you seek.

Also, just FYI, unseasonably hot in Austin, but yet to reach 100-degrees. "Big Hill" is setting larger fruit very well, there is some catfacing. "Ot' Jgodka"...that was grafted to"Supernatural," is out-growing and out-producing the non-grafted "OJ"

[joseph]

Thanks Harry. Brad is typically the earliest tomato in my garden. Often tied with Jagodka.

[MissS]

Originally Posted by joseph

The beautifully promiscuously pollinating tomato project is advancing delightfully. Here are photos of a flower that is the archetype for the project. The stigma is highly exposed. The anthers are not connected to each other. And it releases pollen like an allergy factory.

Joseph those are absolutely the most beautiful tomato flowers that I have ever seen. They are just gorgeous!

[Harry Cabluck]

Joseph, Sent you a PM.

[Harry Cabluck]

Lofthouse's Big Hill, sown Jan. 1, is shown April 14, 2019. The seed for this particular plant was taken from a tomato that was harvested in Austin, Texas on June 17, 2018. Perhaps there was some unintended cross-pollenization. Of the five seeds that were sown this year, all germinated. They are outgrowing all other tomatos planted at the same time in the same medium All are more than three times the size of a regular Big Hill planted this year. Sent Joseph a few of the same seeds for his consideration. Have hopes for a good-tasting fruit. The plants are about 34-inches tall. Others are already in the ground and those in our garden have blossoms as shown here.

[Harry Cabluck]

The plant shown in the post above, Joseph Lofthouse's variety Big Hill, was put in the ground about April 14-15. It is growing well with profuse blossoming. Attached photo below shows some of the fruit on May 30, 2019.

[joseph]

Thanks for the grow reports Harry.

So far this spring, I have planted about 3000 tomato seeds. Just about all of them are for the Beautifully Promiscuous and Tasty Tomatoes project. So they are wild species, and inter-species hybrids, and back-crosses to both the wild ancestors and domestic ancestors.

I continue work on domesticating the wild species. Selecting them for larger, sweeter fruits, and for local-adaptation to my growing conditions and short-season.

I am expecting one more batch of inter-species hybrid seed from a collaborator. At this point, I'm expecting to plant those into the greenhouse, for some fall frost protection.

I love this project. It has captured my heart and imagination. And the flavors!!!! Oh my.

[loulac]

Glad to hear again from Joseph and pleased to see he keeps enjoying his research and creativity along the years.
Loulac

[AlittleSalt]

It does sound like a lot of fun and interest.

[joseph]

I devoured this article earlier tonight:

The Plant Journal(2014)77,727–736 Restoring pistil-side self-incompatibility factors recapitulatesan interspecific reproductive barrier between tomato species Alejandro Tovar, Aruna Kumar, Katsuhiko Kondo, Amy Ashford, You S. Baek, Lillian Welch,Patricia A. Bedinger and Bruce A. McClure

It basically says that there are two genes that affect self incompatibility in tomatoes. One is expressed in the pistil, and one in the pollen. And that self-incompatibility can be restored by re-introducing both genes. Whew!!!! Good thing, since that's been the whole basis of my Beautifully Promiscuous and Tasty Tomato project.

[Harry Cabluck]

Joseph, Halfway through reading that article, one's eyes gloss over. Hope all is well with your fields. Our small garden is cooked by the Texas heat.

[NarnianGarden]

Jospeh. Are you willing to share those inter-species tomato seeds at some point?

Originally Posted by joseph

Big Hill is descended from my earliest tomato, and from my favorite tasting. Eventually I intend to incorporate Big Hill into the promiscuous pollination project.

Me holding landrace carrots. I have been selecting for carrots that can out-compete the weeds.

Are they naturally that shiny? If so, that's quite a remarkable trait. They look polished. I love the giant foliage, too.