New products for different segments of the tomato market

"Harmoniz is a company that is still little known in our area. I have personally discovered it by associating it with one of the best varieties currently available on the market in the segment of round, smooth tomatoes, the Carreras F1 variety," says Antonio Lisi, owner of Az. Agr. Lombardo Giuliana (Terracina, LT).

Antonio Lisi, owner of Az. Agr. Lombardo Giuliana

"I have been growing Carreras for a few years now," adds the farmer, "and after discovering that the Harmoniz brand is backed by 20 years of research by TomaTech and Nirit Seed, two Israeli seed companies specializing in tomatoes, I decided last year to put Carreras alongside some of the hybrids recommended by the company for the Fondi-Latina area and, in general, for central and southern Italy."

Carreras F1 and Socrates F1

"With regard to Carreras, I have to admit that last year we obtained very interesting results," says Lisi. Productivity has been astounding, with countless fruit sets, uniform cluster size, large berry size, excellent fruit texture even at full ripeness, and beautiful color. In addition to its productivity and post-harvest shelf-life, I think another strong point of Carreras is its good vigor, backed up by a very complete resistance package, which allows trouble-free growing, even in ungrafted plants."

Midi Plum Croconì F1

"In the segment of the oblong varieties, we have obtained a beautiful fruit set and a delicious fruit from Socrates F1", says the grower. "The berries are of a deep green color and weigh about 160-180 grams on large, uniform clusters of up to 8 or 9 trusses. The plant is early and has a good package of resistance, including F3, TyLCV, and TSWV, but there is a need to maintain vigor management. By allowing a 60 cm space between plants, we have been able to further improve the quality and uniformity of the fruit and ensure that vigor is easier to control in the field. Its versatility during harvest is an added value that should not be overlooked, and I honestly do not know of a better oblong variety on the market. It is one of those varieties that yields the most the more you harvest, as it can be harvested either green or red. Sold out as a green fruit, Socrates has also been appreciated by those cooperatives that need to produce only red because it reaches full ripeness while maintaining an excellent texture and intense flavor."

"Two other varieties being tested that I consider very good for this area," says Lisi, "are two of the latest additions to the midi and mini-plum segment, Croconì F1 (TT-628) and TT-1053. Both have adapted well to February transplanting and are recommended by the company for seasonal and summer cycles. Croconì, the midi plum, is a really good tomato. It is a productive, rustic plant that is easy to cultivate, and I was impressed by the quality of its fruit, which has a flaming red color on the outside and deep red flesh with a firm rachis and fleshy sepals. The texture and the shelf life are also amazing; the fruit remains intact for about 10 days, which makes it perfect for those who want to export or commercialize it over long distances. It is also delicious. You can cut it and then eat it just as it is without having to add any extra ingredients to it. The same evaluations were made for the date variety TT-1053, which proved to be an excellent variety in terms of quality, agronomic management, and short-cycle yield, showing good tolerance to apical rot and no traces of nematodes."

TT-1053, red mini-plum for harvesting clusters

"Among the specialties tested," concludes the experienced grower, "we included the yellow cherry tomato Yellow Candy, which received the best feedback, probably because, despite being a niche segment, demand for it has increased in recent years. The variety is appreciated in several cooperatives for its large size, its beautiful, elegant and compact clusters, its high Brix and its good post-harvest shelf-life, and it has also performed well in terms of production, from the field to the end of the production cycle."