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Old July 15, 2013   #18
crmauch
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: Honey Brook, PA Zone 6b
Posts: 399
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Minnesota Mato View Post
I am also looking to breed for improved beta- carotene. Maybe we could share info. Here is my latest, a F1 cross between a galapagos tomato and a pink heart. The plant is huge and the tomatoes are bigger then normal for a cross with a wild galapagos. Now I just have to select for orange colored fruit and increased size.
I'd be glad to share information (and maybe even breeding stock), but I won't get my F1 cross until next year, as I didn't have the tomatoes (of the right kind) or my plan worked out until this summer. So I using this summer as a 'practice' for tomato breeding [I'd estimate that only about 1/3 of my crosses are 'taking'. Is this fairly standard for a beginner at tomato crossing?.] I'm not familiar with the Galapagos tomato. What's it like?

What I learned so far (plus questins):
1) Not all orange colors are created equal
2) Elevated beta carotene results from the presence of the gene B (The
tomato is orange-red) the highest levels result from the additional precense
of the modifier gene MOG (and an orange color).
3) Question: will high levels of beta-carotene cause unfavorable flavors? Can
this be bred around?
4) B is on the same chromosome as the gene for determinate growth and is
linked to it. Can this link be broken?

Next year I plan that my main tomato breeding will involve CaroRich, 97L97, and Opalka.
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