Tomato, new variety growing with few water

The “da serbo” tomato, a rare species which is almost unknown to mass consumption and is largely cultivated in Southern Italy’s small family gardens, grows better without water. An experimental research of the Institute for Mediterranean Agriculture and Forest Systems (ISAFOM), under the National Research Centre (CNR) of Catania, stressed that this kind of tomato can be cultivated without irrigation, contributing in this way to a remarkable saving of water, which is very important for these areas, afflicted by long dry seasons.
“We have at our disposal more than 30 genotypes of the “da serbo” tomato, coming from Sicily, Puglia and Campania - ISAFOM researcher Cristina Patanè explains - and they have been cultivated, both on hills and plains, without any irrigation intervention, from transplant to picking stage, in a period of about three months”.
The precious genotypes, real rarities detected also with the collaboration of the Agriculture Development Organization and the Region Agriculture Authority operating sections, present a high content of antioxidant compounds (vitamin C, carotenoids like licopene and B-carotene), to which a beneficient effect on human health has been recognized.
“Since the plant doesn’t benefit from the irrigation’s contribution - the researcher adds - dry substances, sugars and antioxidant substances, which determine the nutritional value of the berries, are particularly concentrated”.