Two new hybrids for Pakistan

Tomato is an important vegetable around the world, but in some countries productivity remains low—in part due to the use of old varieties that lack tolerance to heat, drought and other environmental stress and have limited resistance to pest and diseases.

In Pakistan, for instance, tomato growers produce about 9-10 tons per hectare (Agriculture Statistics of Pakistan, 2014-15) compared to 34.7 tons per hectare in other parts of the world (FAO, 2013). Only 67% of local demand for tomato is being met, with the remainder imported at high prices.

Under the Agricultural Innovation Program (AIP) for Pakistan (October 2013 to March 2017) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and supported by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), the World Vegetable Center collaborated with Dr. Muhammad Yussouf Saleem and his team at the Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad to develop improved tomato hybrids.

NIAB breeders found many desirable traits in WorldVeg tomato lines and used these breeding materials to create four high-performing determinate hybrids. Of these, LBR-7, LBR-9, LBR-10, LBR-11 and LBR-17 showed tolerance to early and late blight. By crossing these lines with elite local lines, several high yielding hybrids (F1) tolerant to early and late blight were developed.

Among these hybrids, ‘NIAB GOHAR’ (NBH-2 (LBR7) x ‘Nagina’) and ‘NIAB JAUHAR’ (NBH-25 (LBR10 x ‘Roma’) were evaluated in a National Uniform Yield Trial conducted by the PARC National Coordinator (Horticulture) and in Distinctness Uniform Stability Studies (DUST) conducted by the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSC&RD) in Islamabad during 2015-16.

Both ‘NIAB GOHAR’ and ‘NIAB JAUHAR’ produce firm fruit with high yield (~40 t/ha), show moderate resistance to fruit borer and early and late blight, and are well-adapted to agroclimates in Punjab (Pakistan). The Punjab Seed Council has approved the hybrids for commercial cultivation.

Story and photos: Mansab Ali, Peter Hanson