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Tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)

Small-fruited cherry cocktail tomatoes	variety with medium sized fruit	large fruited round beef tomatoes

Distribution, Yield, Use:

Production (1000t) Yield (dt/ha)

Country	1979-81	1992	1979-81	1992
USA	6950	9600	426	589
ex-USSR	7370	6250	181	180
China	4120	5620	142	160
Turkey	3550	6400	329	387
Egypt	2450	4690	177	308
UK	130	145	153	252
World	52600	70440	209	243

• Distribution:
  Grown in most countries of the tropical to the temperate zones; requires open, humus- rich soil, much warmth and light, sensitive to high humidity.
• Use:
  Foodstuff
  - raw consumption
  - raw material for ketchup, juice, soups and sauces
  Tomato fruits contain 5-8% dry mass, comprising 4-6% carbohydrate, 1% protein, 25 mg vitamin C/100 g.

Region of origin: Region of cultivation:

• Cultivation and Breeding:
  The tomato is an ancient cultivated plant of South America. There, the widespread wild forms bear small fruits with thin outer skins, little flesh and many seeds. The indigenous Indians of the coastal region of Peru probably introduced large-fruited mutations into domestication by selection. The first evidence of use comes from the 5th century BC. After the discovery of America, the tomato first reached Europe as an ornamental plant. Only after the first World War did it become a plant of world-wide economic importance. Today there are varieties with round, egg or pear shaped fruits of varying sizes, which, upon ripening, have a red or yellow colour. Hybrid varieties are increasingly grown.
• Breeding aims:
  The most important breeding aims are increasing the yield, improving the fruit quality and resistance properties against fungal, viral and bacterial diseases and nematodes. Varieties are also desired with reliable fruiting on the upper inflorescences, and uniform ripening. For the production of tomato pulp, large, multicellular fruits with a high dry mass content are required.

Text by Dr. Wolfgang Schuchert
Adapted to HTML by R.Saedler