New Hampshire Surecrop Tomalo 



In certain years, the same organism. Phytophora infestons, that causes late 

 bhght of potatoes also produces rotting of tomato fruits rather late in the 

 harvest season. Over a period of years, the Plant Pathologist at the New 

 Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station tested hundreds of varieties 

 and strains of tomatoes for possible resistance to late blight. None proved 

 resistant until seeds of a tomato were received from workers at the Rocke- 

 feller Foundation, Mexico City, by Dr. M. C. Richards in 1948. This to- 

 mato, designated as No. X907W, proved resistant both to artificial inocu- 

 lations with late blight in the laboratory and under field conditions in a 

 season when the disease was serious. However, the Mexican tomato, No. 

 X907W, had fruits only the size of a marble and was of little value as a 

 variety in itself. It would be classed as a cherry tomato, Lycopersicum 

 pimpinelli folium. 



It was decided to originate a commercial variety of tomato having the 

 late blight resistance of the small cherry tomato from Mexico. Crosses 

 were made readily between it and several standard varieties of the common 

 tomato. The hybrids stood up against the ravages of late blight in the field 

 when all other standard sorts were damaged severely. 



The second generation was grown in the greenhouse and selections made 

 for plants having large size fruits that were resistant to the disease. Dr. 

 Avery Rich* maintained cultures of the late blight organism and sprayed 



New Hampshire Surecrop tomato, a 1957 introduction. It is resistant to late 

 hiight prevalent in New Hampshire, and has some resistance to early blight. 



* Plant Pathologist at the New Hampshire Agricultural Exi)erinient Station from 

 1946 to the present. 



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