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CAPRICIU, a new variety of cherry type tomato

Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. var. cerasiforme Alef. Authors:


Dr. biol. FLOAREA BURNICHI, drd. eng. FLORICA GHEORGHE, S.C.D.L. Buzau, dr. eng. MIOARA NEGOITA Institute of Food Bioresources Bucharest

Short history of cherry type tomatoes


Tomatoes are the most cultivated vegetables in the whole world. As pepper, potato and eggplants, tomatoes belong to the Solanaceae Family. The common German name of tomato is the wolfs peach. In the XVIIIth century Carl Linnaeus defined this variety after the legend naming the species Lycopersicon esculentum, that means the wolfs edible peach. The strongest proofs regarding tomatos cultivation are of a cultural type. Linguistic evidence certifies that the Aztecs from Central America called the fruit xitomatl, and the tribes of savages from Central America called it:tomati. Then, there is genetic evidence. Humboldt (1811), Philips (1891), Jenkins (1948) considered that the original variety for the cultivated tomatoes is Lycopersicon esculentum, var. cerasiforme, initially found in Peru or Ecuador, then reaching Mexico where it was first used as a medicinal plant. The first plants brought from South America to Spain and Portugal, had yellow fruit, (this is the reason they named the tomatoes pomodoro in Italy). From Spain the tomatoes were first introduced to Great Britain (the end of the XVIth century), then to France were they were initially treated as ornamental plants (Vilmorin catalog, 1860) and only starting from 1878 they treated them as vegetables. In Germany, Switzerland and northern countries they were cultivated later, after the year 1870. L. esculentum cerasiforme is considered to be the direct ancestor of nowadays cultivated tomato. In European Literature, tomatoes were first mentioned in the Herbarium written by Matthilos in 1544. The first cookery book which mentioned the tomatoes was published in Naples in 1692. Tomatoes were commercialized on the European market starting approximately with the year 1800. Cherry type tomatoes are considered more related to the wild type from the point of view of disease resistance and yield capacity, the benefit of these advantages being higher than in the case of other types of cultivated tomatoes. In the case of cultivated varieties the inflorescence is less ramified and tends to be shorter. In Western countries the tomatoes yield production increased from 1920 beginning with the canning event. Tomato canning was documentary attested for the first time in 1847 by Harrison Crosby, Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania. Automatic peeling machines were made around 1890 and the mechanical extraction of the juice was invented in 1920, allowing orientation towards high level of dry substance tomato crops, for obtaining tomato paste. Cherry type tomatoes ripen homogenously, in a concentered manner, in naturally formed clusters, and can be harvested for industrialization (as juice canned tomatoes). Cherry type tomato fruits have big lycopen content, the major carotenoid in tomatoes, responsible for the dark red color. The lycopen was credited as an antioxidant, annihilating the cells responsible for breast and prostate cancer, as many specialized studies proved it. Therefor the people who eat high quantities of tomato made products have a lower risk to develop cancer. The first five tomato producing countries are: USA, China, Turkey, Italy and India. The tomato occupies the 16th position among the fruit with rich vitamin A content, the 13th position for vitamin C, and regarding consumption, the tomato is the best provider for these two vitamins in the nations diet. The tomato also contains big quantities of lycopen, beta-carotene, magnesium, niacin, iron, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, natrium and thiamine, being the most important fruit or vegetable in the diet, and the main vitamin and mineral source in the world. Taking into account the special qualities of this kind of tomato, we deemed it proper to introduce this variety for cultivation, as support for a still deficient diet in the field of health useful principles (vitamins, minerals), for assuring and maintaining peoples health, as for diversifying the assortment of products with low degree of pollution on the market, as a result of their natural resistance to the main diseases and pathogen attack and on the basis of an integrated pest management of pathogens, with a reduced number of treatments, and using products with low level of toxicity or even biological products.

LINE 2 TOMATO CHERRY TYPE VARIETY CAPRICIU Cherry type tomato line registered for testing and homologation at State Institute for Variety Testing and Registration (I.S.T.I.S.) Bucharest in 2004-2005. Homologated in 2007 as Capriciu variety, adequate for indoor, protected cultivation (greenhouse, plastic tunnels) as for open field cultivation. DESCRIPTION Early variety. Non-determined growth plant type, weak anthocyan pigment in the inferior 1/3rd of the stalk, pendent leaves, weakly blistered, 2 leaves between clusters, average length of internodes 4-5 cm, mainly monopodial clusters. Suitable for fresh consumption and industrializing. Yielding production - 65-85 t/ha

Green collar fruit in the immature state and deep red, homogenous, glitter at technological stage. Firm, sweet, flavored fruit. Fruit average weight= 21.5-26.5 g; Shape index =1.07; Dry soluble substance weight = 7,0 ; Two seminal spaces in cross section. GARDENERS DELIGHT Witness variety Early variety of cherry type tomato, indeterminate type, high, vigorous plants, rich foliage, medium green, semi erect leaves, fruit about 15 g, no green shoulder, light red, shinny at consumption state, pleasant taste. INDUSTRIALIZATION The homologation and authorization methodology of new vegetable varieties specifies that, besides their agrobiological behavior data, we must know the industrial processing behavior, as well as the physico-chemical indices that interact with the processing and destination of the varieties. The biological material (cherry type tomatoes) was tested for the evaluation of their processing capacity by the Institute of Food Bioresources Bucharest in the framework of a CEEX Project number 76/03.10.2005 Food safety for vegetable and fruit production and processing by: - industrializing capacity through thermal sterilization; - establishing the technology of processing by dehydration; - establishing the technology of processing by freezing techniques of the cherry type tomatoes. OBTAINED RESULTS: The organoleptic characteristics of the cherry type tomato variety CAPRICIU L2
Aspect: Undamaged tomatoes, clean, healthy, fresh aspect, firm pulp. Equatorial section diameter: 25 30 mm. Color: Red

Taste and flavor: Pleasant, characteristic for fresh tomatoes, no strange taste or flavor. Fruit average weight (g) 21,5 Sensorial analysis of the tomato variety processed as Fruit height (cm) 3,4 "TOMATO IN SAUCE"

Dry soluble weight substance


(oR la 20 oC) 7,0 Soluble glucids (%) 4,50 Proteins (%) 0,90 Lipids (%) 0,20 Vitamin C (mg/100 g) 18,56 Total acidity (g citric acid /100 g) 0,47 Ashes (%) - K (mg/100g) - Ca (mg/100g) - Mg (mg/100 g) - Na (mg/100g) - Fe (mg/100g) - P (mg/100g) 0,57 Energetic value (kcal/100g) 23,40
Punctaj medi u ponderat

7 6 5 Aspect 4 3 2 1 0 CAPRICIU(L2) Tomato variety GARDENERS DELIGHT (Mt.) Color Consistency Taste and flavor

As a result of the performed biochemical analyses we observed that the cherry type tomato variety L2 (CAPRICIU) have a nutritional value superior to the witness variant, GARDENERS DELIGHT variety. Therefore the glucid content is 41,11 % higher, the protein content 13,33 %, the lipids content 15 %, and the vitamin C content is 18,92 % higher. Regarding the mineral elements content of cherry type tomato variety L2 (CAPRICIU) compared with the witness variant, the first has a higher potassium (278,50 mg/100g beside 231,75 mg/100g), magnesium (19,75 mg/100 g beside 17,80 mg/100g), and Fe (0,44 mg/100 g beside de 0,40 mg/100g) content. Quality indices of the product TOMATOES IN SAUCE- CAPRICIU L2 variety Organoleptic characteristics:
Product aspect: Undamaged tomatoes, (about. 7,2% cracked tomatoes); Fruit with the same ripening degree, homogenous as dimensions, covered with homogenous mass paste, no damages Product color: Red, deep Total average score for the sensorial analysis of tomato Tomatoes consistency: Processed as "TOMATO IN SAUCE" Homogenous, middle firm tomatoes, not over boiled 19. Taste and flavor: 5 Pleasant, natural, very typical, very intense. 1 9 Biochemical characteristics
m e d i u P u n c t a j t o t a l

Dry soluble weight substance


o

18. 5 Total average score

In tomato juice ( R la 200C) 11,2 1 8 Soluble glucids (%) 7,06 17. 5 Proteins (%) 0,99 Lipids (%) 0,19 1 7 GARDENERS DELIGHT CAPRICIU (L2) Tomato variety (Mt.) Vitamin C (mg/100 g) 8,70 Total acidity (g citric acid/100 g) 0,54 Ashes (%)- K (mg/100g)- Ca (mg/100g)- Mg (mg/100 g)- Na (mg/100g)- Fe (mg/100g)- P (mg/100g) 0,50 Energetic value (kcal/100g) 33,91

Nitrate and nitrite content for cherry type tomato varieties in fresh state L2 (CAPRICIU) VARIETY GARDENERS DELIGHT (Witness) Nitrite ions NO2 (mg/kg) 0,30 Nitrite ions NO2 - (mg/kg) 0,37 Nitrate ions NO3 (mg/kg) 112,5 Nitrate ions NO3 - (mg/kg) 114,57 The nitrate and nitrite content of the studied cherry type tomatoes have small values (nitrites: 0,30 0,40 mg/kg; nitrates: 112,5 116,75 mg/kg), which proves the usage of adequate technologies through: - adequate level of fertilizers applied; - assuring light intensity; - assuring the optimum temperature for plant growing

Compared with nitrates, the nitrites content of cherry type tomatoes is much lower, under 1 mg/kg. This situation can be explained by the fact that in the frame of the transformation processes of nitrates in plants, the nitrite phase is a transitory one. As the nitrites appear under nitratereductases influence, they are onwards reduced, with the same speed by the nitritereductase in nitrogen monoxide. CONCLUSIONS The quality of the basics works, maintenance works, fertilization, phyto-sanitary treatments made and its execution at optimal moments, assure qualitative and quantitative superior yields, for both varieties of cherry type tomatoes CAPRICIU and GARDENERS DELIGHT, reducing the fuel consumption up to 10 %. In comparison with the yield potential indicated in the specialized catalogues, the cherry type tomatoes under study, in the frame of optimized agro technical measures applied, exceeded the usual yield production potential with almost 23%, capitalizing at a superior level the soil and environment conditions, in a good year from the climatic point of view for an evolution without diseases and pest problems, economically significant. The reduced number of treatments prevented the fruit contamination with toxic residues and assured an efficient protection of plants, allowing the obtainment of an increased yield production. From the point of view of resistance to the main diseases and pests on the quality and fruit production of cherry type tomatoes L2 (CAPRICIU) and GARDENERS DELIGHT in greenhouses) this years climatic conditions didnt favor the apparition of the specific pathogens in the case of cherry type tomato culture, as: Alternaria porri f. sp. solaniearly blight of tomato leaves, Botrytis cinerea - grey mould of tomatoes, Cladosporium fulvum leaf mould of tomato. The new variety of cherry type tomato fits the quality and performance criteria demanded on the national market, for alignment to the requirements on the European Union market. The new variety will find his place in peoples diet, as fresh product and also in processed state. BIBLIOGRAPHY
V. Voican, I. Scurtu, M. Costache, V. Lacatus, L. Stoian, T. Roman, M. Dumitrescu, 2006 - Cultura legumelor in camp, Ed. Phoenix, Brasov, (2006) Victor Popescu, Angela Popescu, 2006 - Cultura legumelor n cmp i n solarii, Editura MAST Ruxandra Ciofu, Nistor Stan, Victor Popescu, Pelaghia Chilom, Silviu Apahidean, Arsenie Horgo, 2003 - Tratat de legumicultur, Editura Ceres Voican V, Lacatus V., 2001 - Cultura protejata a legumelor in sere si solarii, Editura Ceres, Bucuresti, 2001; Catalogul Oficial al Soiurilor de Legume al Comisiei Europene, 2006; Lacatus V., V. Voican, Oana Ciocirlan, Matilda Chelu, I. Iordan, 2000 Producerea legumelor cu continut minim de nitrati. Anale Bioterra, vol. V, p.55-60. Baicu T, Savescu A, 1986 Sisteme de combatere integrata a bolilor si daunatorilor pe culturi, Editura Ceres, Bucuresti; Costache M, Roman T., 2001 Ghid pentru recunoasterea si combaterea agentilor patogeni si daunatorilor la legume; www.heirloomseeds.com www.homegrowntomatoes.com

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