Key Breeding Traits and Future Prospects of Processing Tomatoes

Dr. Surinder K Tikoo

Independent Director at Advanced Training in Plant Breeding (ATPBR)

5 min read
13/12/2024
Key Breeding Traits and Future Prospects of Processing Tomatoes

Unlocking India's Tomato Processing Potential: A Path to Sustainability

Composed and edited: by Dr. Nagraani Mahaajan, Publication Director, Advanced Training in Plant Breeding (ATPBR), Maharashtra, India

Tomato processing is an essential aspect of the agricultural business, especially in India, where the demand for processed foods such as sauces, ketchup, and purees is increasing. Understanding the importance of this crop and the characteristics that improve its quality is critical for farmers and processors alike.

Typical mechanical once over-harvesting of tomato in California.png

Photo - Typical mechanical once over-harvesting of tomato in California

Why Processing Tomatoes Are Essential

Currently, India produces approximately 20 million metric tonnes of tomatoes on 810,000 hectares, but only about 150,000 tonnes—roughly one percent—are processed. This contrasts sharply with countries like the USA and China, which process nearly 70% of their tomato production.

Significant waste results from the absence of processing infrastructure during seasonal gluts, especially those that occur between February and April (northern hemisphere), when tomato prices drop so much that farmers in places like Kolar don’t even harvest their crops as prices don't cover the labor cost. In protest, farmers are known to throw harvested tomatoes on the roads. A robust processing industry is required for this, and that requires tomato varieties/hybrids suitable for processing.

India imported $20.6 million worth of canned tomatoes and sauces in 2019, a startling 146% increase over 2018. Since China accounted for 70% of these imports, India urgently needs to improve its processing capacity to cut waste and boost farmer profitability and food security.

Economic Impact of Tomato Processing

Investing in tomato processing can bring significant economic rewards. For example, companies like Heinz breed for processing, which are then specifically cultivated for viscosity and flavor under contracts. The company then sources all these tomatoes for their factories. The specific demand encourages breeders to develop varieties suitable for processing and inspires farmers to implement quality-enhancing measures, ultimately benefiting the entire supply chain.

Key Traits for Quality Processing Tomatoes

To succeed in the processing sector, tomatoes must have special properties that assure excellent quality and yield. Here are the essential features to consider:

Traits required for processing tomatoes.png

Table 1: Traits required for processing tomatoes

Advances in Breeding Processing Tomatoes

The landscape for processing tomatoes has greatly improved due to recent advances in breeding. In states like Maharashtra and Karnataka, for example, February sowing is now feasible due to hybrids like Abhinav and 1057 from Syngenta. In order to thrive throughout the warmer months, these cultivars exhibit enhanced heat tolerance. This heat tolerance helps extend the sowing season by two months, meaning continued harvest for over 6 months, keeping processing companies engaged for longer periods instead of keeping the factory idle (inactive).

The SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT) gene (Uri Krieger et al., 2010), which has been found to boost yields by as much as 60%, demonstrates the promise of genetic improvements in this area. Incorporating the SFT gene in processing tomatoes can boost yields & help farmers get improved revenues. 

World Vegetable Center, Taiwan, has made a good contribution by creating dual-purpose lines such as AVTO 1706 and AVTO 1707. Similarly, ICAR-IIHR has developed new processing varieties. Such germplasm can be used by breeders to develop new hybrids for processing to enhance their disease resistance and yield.

Breeders have specifically added the tomato leaf curl virus resistance genes into tomato crops meant for fresh or marketing in the last two and a half decades. By now, six Ty genes (1 to 6) have already been discovered and used by breeders to incorporate in commercial products. For further reading, the following papers are suggested: Peter Hanson et al. (2000), Gill, U et al. (2019), and Pardhasaradhi Prabhandakavi et al. (2020).

Photo - Typical mechanical once over-harvesting of tomato in California.jpg

Future Prospects for Processing Tomatoes in India

Farmers, researchers, and the corporate sector must work together to fully realize the potential of India's tomato processing industry. Although the industry has numerous challenges, the main one is the availability of the right varieties or hybrids suitable for various processing products and at the right prices. However, this is a great opportunity to develop a collaborative project under PPP mode and come up with a win-win solution.

Addressing Challenges

Small landholdings can make mechanical harvesting challenging, but mini-harvesters are the need of the hour. Harvesters made in Japan, for instance, may work effectively in smaller fields, enabling several farmers to share equipment. Indian farmers may be able to embrace new farming methods without having to pay exorbitant expenses thanks to this cooperative approach. Farmer Producer Organisations must come together to make collective farming of the best varieties/hybrids to bring effective scale of operation as Sahyadri Farms, Nashi, India, is being done effectively. We need many, many more such Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) that will reduce labor costs & make it possible for farmers to sell to processors at a win-win price. 

Farmers must also receive training and guidance on post-harvest management and agricultural best practices. Extension of the harvest season and enhancement of growers' knowledge base needs to be the main goals for both public and private sector stakeholders In order to ensure that farmers can increase yields and enhance quality.   

Vision for Growth

Developing effective processing tomatoes requires concentrating on breeding for multiple disease resistance (MDR), large yields, and desirable harvesting qualities, which meet the traits shown in Table 1. Giving priority to traits like high lycopene content will satisfy industrial standards of color, and jointless pedicels with concentrated fruit maturity will help ease once-over-harvest, reducing labor costs.

The goal is to establish an Indian tomato processing sector capable of competing on a global scale. This vision can become a reality with the correct assistance, including Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) establishments mentioned above. The development of strong supply chains and improved market access will boost the sector's growth potential even further.

Conclusion

The Indian tomato processing industry has a lot of potential. Focusing on important traits, adopting breeding innovations, and promoting cooperation will help us build a prosperous industry that satisfies domestic and global needs. For the future of tomato processing in India to be prosperous and sustainable, cooperation among all stakeholders will be crucial as the sector grows to overcome challenges and seize opportunities.

References:

  1. Gill, U., Scott, J.W., Shekasteband, R. et al. 2019, Ty-6, a major begomovirus resistance gene on chromosome 10, is effective against Tomato yellow leaf curl virus and Tomato mottle virus, Theor Appl Genet (2019) 132: 1543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-019-03298-0
  2. Pardhasaradhi Prabhandakavi, Rambabu Pogiri, Rakesh Kumar, Santanu Acharya, Ramchandran Esakky, M. Chakraborty, Rajasekhar Pinnamaneni & Sairam Reddy Palicherla  (2020), Pyramiding Ty-1/Ty-3, Ty-2, ty-5 and ty-6 genes into tomato hybrid to develop resistance against tomato leaf curl viruses and recurrent parent genome recovery by ddRAD sequencing method, Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology , 30, 462–476 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13562-020-00633-1
  3. Peter M. Hanson, Dario Bernacchi, Sylvia Green, Steven D. Tanksley, Venkataramappa Muniyappa, Attiganal S. Padmaja, Huei-mei Chen, George Kuo, Denise Fang, and Jen-tzu Chen (2000) Mapping a Wild Tomato Introgression Associated with Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus Resistance in a Cultivated Tomato Line.  J. AMER. SOC. HORT. SCI. 125(1):15–20. 2000.
  4. Uri Krieger, Zachary B Lippman, Dani Zamir (2010) The flowering gene SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS drives heterosis for yield in tomatoNature Genetics, 42, 459-463

Further reading

Management of Soilborne Pathogens: Focusing on Fusarium oxysporum in tomatoes

How to store tomatoes to minimize post-harvest losses

Growing Tomatoes Outdoors for Profit - Complete Outdoors Tomato Growing Guide

How to easily grow tomatoes in your backyard

Plant Breeding and Genetics

How Epigenetics Can Help Farmers Grow Healthier and More Resilient Crops

Hybrid Potatoes – A Climate-Smart Solution for Potato Farmers

 

Dr. Surinder K Tikoo
Independent Director at Advanced Training in Plant Breeding (ATPBR)

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