Tomato Adaptability

[grodematers]

Tomato Is Adaptable. "Definite selection and breeding work with the tomato for adapting it to warm-temperature and cool-temperature regions has been in progress but a short time, not over two centuries and perhaps only half that," says Dr. Boswell. "Nevertheless, in a certainly brief span, this tropical or sub-tropical plant has been adapted to a wide range of environments far different from its native home. The efforts at selection by early growers of the crop together with natural factors produced a very interesting and effective assortment of general types, each of which apparently points toward the maximum adaptability at each region."

Extensive commercial tomato production in this country is not much over 85 years old, as of 1969. Prior to 1860, no tomato varieties had even been developed in the U.S., according to Boswell. "Probably the first United States contribution to tomato improvement was the introduction of the Tilden variety by Henry Tilden of Davenport, Iowa, in 1865. it originated as a chance seedling in a field of a variety the name of which is not recorded. The next notable advance occurred in 1870 with the introduction of Trophy, a result of hybridization and selection by a Dr. Hand, of Baltimore county, Md."


Excerpted from Magoon, C.E. 1969December. Fruit & Vegetable Facts & Pointers: Tomatoes. United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association, 777 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 2005.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The above is from a web search. The info above brings me to my question/questions. Has anyone here researched the following:

1- Could a variety grown in the same soil type, with the same variables(water,fert.etc.) for a long time, say 10-20 yrs...saving seed and replanting, become adapted to that specific environment ?

2- If I were to take a variety that does not do well in my zone and grow it out over an extended amount of time, could it become adapted to my zone ?

I know there are alot of variables to consider and time is of the essence. I just want to see what some of your views are on this. By the way I am new here so forgive me if this a tad long for a first post.

Thank you,

grodematers

[landarc]

As I see it, the answer is generally that if you grew a variety that does not do well in your area, and continued to grow it over 10 years, you would have 10 years of poor tomato growing experience.

Now, if you grow that variety and each year select carefully for the plants that do well in your area, even specifically to your garden, you would, over many years end up with a tomato that might grow better, or even well, in your area. Likely as not, you may end up with a different tomato than that with which you started. Then there is the possibility of a sport popping up, a natural genetic variation that could grow well, select that plant out and very quickly you could have a tomato, related in a manner, to your original tomato that might perform better in your area. Both of these scenarios beg the question of whether or not yu have the same essential tomato or not.

As for controlling all of the variables, it is not possible. Climate cycles, soil conditions, insects and weather are simply not completely controllable. In one area, over a period of time, one single type of tomato will have good and bad performance years. That is why the industrial farms and larger commercial companies look to hybrids, in an attempt to even out harvest and make capital planning more realistic in an uncertain world.

[feldon30]

I'm sure you'll get mad since I am not answering your question at all, but with the 10,000+ varieties of tomatoes and the adaptability of Zone 9 growing zone, you could try 100 varieties each year for 40 years and still have more than half to go.

[carolyn137]

(moderator please delete this post)

Keith, that comment could theoretically refer to what you wrote as in please delete or it could refer to the one above it posted at 10:31AM and last edited at 10:33 AM.

Which one do you want deleted?

Seems to me that both would be deleted unless you want only the one where your wrote please delete.

Me confused? You confused?

Help?

Carolyn

[Mischka]

I took it to mean the second post...which must have originally been a double post. :wink:

To chime in on this topic, I've had some self-seeding cherry volunteers growing in the same spot for the last 5 years and to my surprise, they have not succombed to frost yet...and we've had a lot of them.

(The rest of my plants are long dead from frost and begging to be pulled)

I want to save some seed, but the fruits are still green.

Perhaps I'll put some remay over them to protect them until one or two fruits ripen.

[dcarch]

It seems to me that a lot of the efforts of heirloom tomato growers are focused in developing varieties which are good tasting, colorful and productive, not much effort goes into disease resistance. To compensate, we use more and more artificial ways to fight off diseases and insects. Will this make heirloom tomatoes weaker and weaker and growing more and more difficult?

dcarch