TOMATO BREEDING SOLUTIONS CONFERENCE 2023

BACKGROUND

Tomato (Solanum esculentum L.) (Family: Solanaceae), has the enviable distinction with Onion and Potato as “TOP” crops in the agricultural landscape of India. A highly popular and almost a daily necessity in the kitchen, tomato is in high demand throughout the year across the world. A native of Latin America tomato for the first few hundred years was believed to be poisonous across Europe!
In India, tomato is cultivated over 800,000 ha annually, with an average yield of 24 t/ha which is far below the productivity in China and other developed countries. Most of the tomatoes produced in India are consumed fresh with only a small percentage (~2%) taken for processing. The advent of heat and leaf curl tolerant hybrids with better keeping quality heralded a revolution in tomato production in India in the last 2-3 decades but market integration and price stability are lacking. Thus, market intelligence and price forecast have been missing links. Farmers often have to face the spectre of apparent glut even with marginal productivity and crop abandonment without even harvesting the crops is observed during February -April every year. On the contrary, at times from June to September retail price of tomato exponentially increase leaving the consumer and policy makers red faced.

Tomatoes in the recent past have remained volatile and the prices are beyond the reach of common people. Reasons can be many and varied in different agro-ecological zones of the country. But what is lacking is a clear understanding of the factors contributing to turbulence in tomato prices and ways to mitigate volatility in the long run. It is not a clearcut case of demand and supply but much more than that. It could be the high temperatures in the peninsular India in summer months and/or break down in resistance to TLCV accentuated by super cyclone in Gujarat and Rajasthan in June and very high precipitation across north India. The insect Tuta and many viruses further confound the problem.

While many technological interventions can usher in significant differences, Plant breeding has shown in the past that it can transform tomato production to be sustainable, economically and ecologically viable. Consumers demand tomatoes all through the year, and this has eclipsed the seasonal planting concept leading to round-the-year production, staggered planting, and harvesting. These practices have changed the dynamics of both biotic and abiotic stresses in tomato & the current levels of genetics may not allow the extended sowing windows the crop requires these days in India in different agro-ecological zones. There is a need to take stock of the scenario impacting tomato productivity and market, identify and prioritize futuristic needs and set up a national action plan to address these challenges through better, climate resilient, disease tolerant and qualitatively superior tomatoes grown either in the field or under protected cultivation.

The Foundation for Advanced Training in Plant Breeding (ATPBR*) with its focus on ‘strengthening plant breeding capacity among crop improvement scientists and students’ has taken the initiative to convene a conference of all stakeholders involved in tomato crop improvement, production and marketing in collaboration with the University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot,on November 3-4 2023. The objective of this conference is to let the stakeholders from all sectors deliberate on the tomato scenario in the country, potential causes for the price volatility in the market and formulate strategies to help farmers and consumers in the future.

The meeting aims to address the following aspects:

National and Regional Scenario in Tomato Production and Economics: Participants will analyse: the current status of tomato production in various states, varieties/hybrids that are being grown in the country, interstate movement of the produce, role of middlemen, cold chain availability, packaging used for transportation from farm to retail, adequacy of processing industry to tackle gluts etc. These deliberations can help to identify critical bottlenecks that require attention and improvement.

Climate Change and Tomato Productivity - What We Know and Don't Know: This segment will delve into the impact of climate change on tomato productivity, especially concentrating on the biotic and abiotic stresses faced by the crop, current solutions either under open field conditions and/or protected cultivation. By examining existing knowledge and identifying knowledge gaps, the meeting will pave the way for informed decisions and innovative approaches to mitigate climate-related risks. Focus will be on impact of global warming, unpredictable heavy precipitation, and damage by viral, fungal diseases, soil health and nematode problems.

Analysis of Market through Elasticity and Volatility in Tomato and Mitigation Strategies: A comprehensive understanding of market dynamics, intelligence, and potential glut situations will be discussed. Participants will state current market segments and potential new product profiles and devise effective strategies to manage market fluctuations and optimize tomato distribution to meet consumer demands efficiently.

Tomato Breeding to Address the Challenges of the Future: Breeders and agricultural experts will explore the current status of products in the market and deliberate on presenting the need for development of more resilient tomato varieties/hybrids that can withstand environmental stresses and adapt to changing conditions. Emphasis will be on finding solutions to improve crop yield, quality, and disease resistances to enhance the sowing and harvesting windows of the crop.

These individual sessions will be followed by a Plenary session that will lead to comprehensive discussions and formulation of a concrete action plan to tackle the various issues arising from the presentations. We expect that the stakeholders attending the meeting can forge a path towards sustainable and resilient tomato breeding, production and marketing practices that will ensure stable supply and affordable prices for consumers in the future, and double farmers income too.