diversifood innovation factsheet #15 tomato

IntroductionConsumers and producers aswell as representativesofgastronomyareshowingincreasedinteresttowardlandrace tomatovarietiesbecause theyhaveanabundant rangeof colors, shapes, sizes,and flavors.Landracetomatoesarevaluableduetotheirgeneticdiversityandadaptability,butmanydonotmeetthe requirements of industrialized production and therefore have largely disappeared fromcultivation.Howeverduetosomeof theirother favorablecharacteristics(high localadaptation,richtaste,specialculturalvalue),somelocalvarietiesmayperformverywellunderorganiccultivation.

In order to raise awareness and interest in landrace tomatovarieties throughout the whole supply chain, the HungarianResearch Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi) launched in2012acomparativeon-farmstudywithparticipationofupto40farmers.Anon-farmnetworkcovering fourregionsofHungaryand involving 15 landrace tomato varieties was established.Upon this, in 2015, in the framework of a PhD research, ÖMKistartedatrialontwoorganicfarmsinCentralHungarywith12landraces under polytunnel and in open field, focused on thecharacterization and evaluation of the landrace tomatoes interms of yield, resistance and fruit quality parameters. Everyyear, results from the experiments are disseminated inroundtable discussions and assessment meetings for farmers,accompanied by tastings and nutritional evaluation (Brix, pH)areorganized.

DIVERSIFOODapproach

IntheframeworkoftheDIVERSIFOODproject,acasestudyabouttheHungariansupplychainoflandracetomatoeswasconductedin2016.Thesurveyswerecarriedoutwithatotalof11actors(breeders,producers,processors,researchers,chefsandretailer),whohadfirst-handexperiencewith landrace tomatoes.Thereportonthecasestudydepicts thecurrentstatusof theirmarketdevelopmentinHungaryandhelpstoidentifypotentialfornewmarketplayersinterestedinthisproduct.

ATFIRSTGLANCE

Landracetomatoesareespecialyinterestingandvaluableduetotheirrichtaste,andagreat

variabilityincolorandshape.Thelackofavailableseedsandhigh

sensitivitytopost-harvesthandlinglimitsthefurtherdevelopmentof

themarket.

LANDRACETOMATOESINHUNGARY

DIVERSIFOOD INNOVATION FACTSHEET #15, October 2017

DIVERSIFOODfirstresultsandoutlookThe exquisite taste and color-diversity of landrace tomato fruits compared to the modern

varietiesarewhatmakes landracessoattractivefor consumers aswell as for chefs. Farmers arereporting that there is currently more demandfor landraces than what they could offer in themarket.Theyalsohighlight thatmany landracesare possessing very interesting traits, whichmakesthemverysuitablefororganicproduction.At the moment, the sales is usually organizedthrough the box scheme, i.e. CommunitySupportedAgriculture, farmersmarkets or evensocial media, like Facebook. Unfortunately, the

wholesupplychaindoesnotstandaloneonitsfeetyetanditrequirescontinuousmentoringanddevelopment.

At thesametime,a limitationofavailableseedlingsholds thedevelopmentof thewholesector.Seeds and seedling producers reported that they noticed increased demand for organic andlandrace seedlings, but because of the seedmarketinglawtheydonothavemuchspacetoextendtheirproduction.Forthisreason,itwas very beneficial for the farmers tocooperate in ÖMKi landrace tomato trials,where we could provide them with theseedlings, and also support them withprofessional advice on how tomaintain theplants. ÖMKi also organized yearly eventswhere farmers, processors and consumerscould meet and exchange their knowledgeandexperiences.Raisedissuesthatshouldbeaddressedandimprovedinthefuturearelinkedtolandracetomatoes’unpredictableyieldandquality,shortshelf-life,poortransportabilityandhighsensitivity topost-harvestmanipulation. Interviewersexpressed that there isnorealmarketingstrategyforthelandracessinceitissuchasmallscaleproduction.Nevertheless,accordingtothenumberofparticipantsatthetomatoeventsandthenumberofinvolvedfarmersintheon-farmtrials,itcanbeconcludedthatthemovementhaspositivegrowth.

SuggestedreadingsBozinéPullaiK,ReiterD,MaliK,MakraM,CseperkálónéMirekB,CsambalikL,Divéky-ErtseyA,NagyP,TurócziG,DrexlerD,TóthF(2016)Takácsatka-ésfonálféreg-kártételösszehasonlítóvizsgálataparadicsomtájfajtákonkétökológiaigazdaságban,Növényvédelem52(8):413-421page;BozinéPullaiK,DrexlerD,TóthF(2016)Tájfajtaparadicsomokkártevőkkelszembeniellenállóságánakvizsgálata.Biokultúra27(4-5):26-27page;BozinéPullaiK,ReiterD,CseperkálónéMirekB,MaliK,MakraM,VajnaiA,GrózingerSz,CsambalikL,Divéky-Ertsey A, Turóczi G, Nagy PI, Drexler D, Tóth F (2016) Tájfajta paradicsomokon vizsgált takácsatka és fonálféreg kártételösszehasonlító vizsgálata két ökológiai gazdaságban. In: Tóth Csilla (szerk.). Őshonos- és tájfajták - Ökotermékek - EgészségesTáplálkozás-Vidékfejlesztés:AXXI.századmezőgazdaságistratégiái.399p.Konferenciahelye,ideje:Nyíregyháza,Magyarország,5th-7thofOctober.Nyíregyháza:NyíregyháziEgyetemMűszakiésAgrártudományi Intézet313-321page;CsambalikL,OrbánCs,Stéger-Máté M, Pusztai P, Divéky-Ertsey A (2016) Antioxidant profile of tomato landraces for fresh consumption, Acta BiologicaSzegediensis60(2):177-182page;CseperkálónéMirekB,ReiteD,Divéky-ErtseyA,DrexlerD(2016)On-farmassessmentoflandraceoftomato(LycopersiconesculentumL.)underorganicconditionsinHungary.ActaFytotechnicaetZootechnica18(5):134-137.ThisInnovationFactsheetistheresultofthecollectiveworkofDIVERSIFOODpartners,coordinatedbyBelaBartha(PSR),withthesupportofRegineAndersen(FNI)andRiccardoBocci(RSR)andTinaKovács(ÖMKI)