Tomato Solutions

Description

Tomato Solutions conducts a tomato breeding program to produce the highest quality hybrids for processors and fresh market growers. As the company name implies, tomato breeding can be viewed as a way of providing solutions to problems that growers and processors face in providing competitive products to the marketplace. We have concentrated on processing tomatoes primarily used for peeling. Improving case recovery by increasing fruit size and firmness as well as peeled color is a major objective. Reducing peeling costs by incorporating traits for easy peeling using reduced lye concentrations and application times is another objective. Breeding hybrids that have easy peel removal will ease the transition from lye peeling to steam or hot water peeling and assist companies with meeting more stringent environmental regulations while remaining competitive. For diced and chopped products, hybrids with larger fruit size and solid interior structure enhance product appearance and recovery. Hybrids of varying maturities with tolerance to fruit breakdown due to disease, and the ability to withstand heat without softening improves the flow of tomatoes from the field to the factory. Early maturing hybrids as well as those with extended field storage capabilities extend the processing season, maximizing capital assets. A close relationship between breeder, processor and grower is necessary so that the combination of factors in which improvement is most desired can be emphasized in hybrid development. Our production process for seed emphasizes genetic purity, high germination and vigour, and effective seed treatments for control of bacterial diseases. The production facilities and research farm of Tomato Solutions are near Chatham, Ontario, central to the main processing tomato production area of Canada. At present, we have several machine harvest processing tomato hybrids as well as hybrids for roma fresh market. In addition, we have an outstanding beefsteak hybrid. Many of our hybrids are used for organic tomato production due to their ability to produce well without the use of fungicides. This is a natural result of breeding without using fungicides in our plots. Please contact Jim Dick or Adam Dick for further information on tomato hybrids.

Export/Domestic Sales: 37% U.S./63% Canadian
Processing/Fresh Market Sales: 93% Processing/7% Fresh Market
Paste/Peeled: 16% of Processing for Paste/84% for Peeled Product

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