NEW JERSEY (PIX11) — In a state famous for its crops, a new top tomato has ripened in New Jersey.
The bicolor grape tomato is called “Scarlet Sunrise” as a homage to the skies of New Jersey.
Rutgers University researchers Pete Nitzsche and Tom Orton collaborated over the past decade to breed the sweet, crack-resistant tomato with a golden hue and a reddish blush.
They believe its hearty qualities will
produce a good crop longer into the growing season.
They work at the Snyder Research and Extension Farm near Pittstown. It’s known as the Rutgers University Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
“We saw potential in both. We crossed them, hoping to combine the firmness of the grape with the flavor and color of the bicolor,” said Nitzsche, an associate professor and agricultural agent for Rutgers Cooperative Extension.
In greenhouses and fields, the researchers and agricultural agents grow crops and work with farmers. The team wanted to see if the best traits of the tomato could be combined with the second to produce a sweet taste that resisted cracking as it grew.
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“It’s hard to crossbreed grape tomatoes because their flowers are tiny and fragile,” said Orton, now an emeritus professor of plant biology.
Rutgers University has protected the variety as intellectual property with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The university can work with local seed producers to bring the tomato to market.
The tomato was officially introduced at an annual tasting event at the farm in August.
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