LA SELECTION DE LA TOMATE D'INDUSTRIE POUR LA FRANCE

The integration of the breeding programmes with the french tomato processing industry facilitates the maintaining of research objectives abreast of developping agronomic and technological trends. These programmes, which were started in 1972 and extended from 1978 onwards, were requested and then assisted in their development by the "Centre Technique de la Conservation des Produits Agricoles / CTCPA" and the "Société Nationale Interprofessionnelle de la Tomate / SONITO".

Professionals in the tomato growing/processing industry wanted enhanced adaptation to southern french agroclimatic requirements of the american varieties mostly introduced into France in seventies. These varieties had mostly been bred in California and did not, in fact, provide the best answer as regards earliness, technological quality and resistance to the more severe diseases of this zone. This breeding is being carried out exclusively at the vegetable breeding station at Avignon (INRA). Complementary experimentation has been set up within a network composed of the SONITO and the CTCPA. Research is along three lines:

• Adaptation to the environment and mechanical harvesting (germination at 10°C, growth at low temperature, parthenocarpy);
• Technological quality (°Brix, pH, peeling quality);
• Resistance to pathogenic agents (Phytophthora infestans, Pseudomonas tomato, Corynebacterium michiganense, Pyrenochaeta lycopersici, CMV necrosis).

Since 1986, a number of these programmes have reached a stage where varieties have been created:

• F1 ALOHA, COUDOULET and recently MONTFAVET 203 with a very high °Brix;
• F1 H 87–103, early, resistant to P. tomato and designed for the production of whole peeled tomatoes;
• MECLINE and PILINE, which are resistant to P. infestans;
• RIMONE, resistant to P. tomato;
• F1 SIXTINA, early, resistant to P. infestans and P. tomato and having a high °Brix.

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