OSU breeding program followed non-GMO traditional cross pollination and cultivated methods over a decade to produce antioxidant rich breed variety
Oregon State University, situated in Corvallis, United States has undertaken a crucial research project on vegetable breeding which has grown the world's first Indigo Rose (purple) tomato containing the same healthy compound found in blueberries. None of the tomatoes was produced using genetically modified genes.
Prof Myers, OSU College of Agricultural Sciences, and his team took 10 years to develop. A novel breed has exclusive antioxidants called anthocyanins giving it a unique color. In addition, the team has generated four other purple tomatoes to add to the mix: Indigo Cherry Drops, a cherry tomato with better flavor and yield than Indigo Rose; Indigo Pear Drops, a sweet, pear-shaped fruit; and Indigo Kiwi, with improved growth habit, flavor and resistance to leaf curl.
Now, there are 50 progenies from Indigo Rose, five from OSU, and the rest from private breeders using Myers’s germplasm, which are the cells that transfer characteristics from generation to generation.
