Consumer demand for heirloom and organically grown local produce is increasing and market price premiums associated with these value-added characteristics may provide profitable ventures. The increased popularity of heirloom tomatoes ( Solanum
Profitable heirloom tomato production is a major challenge in the southeast as a result of weathered soil structure, abiotic stress, and diseases caused by foliar and soilborne plant pathogens. Diseases caused by pathogens such as Fusarium
particular, there is expressed demand for heirloom cultivars with identifiable traits, such as cooking quality, flavor, and interesting seedcoats. Participating restaurant managers cited an average willingness to pay (WTP) of $10.52 per kilogram for heirloom
in industrialized countries are rare ( Thomas et al., 2011 ). In the United States, the designation “heirloom” is considered by some as analogous to landrace in that heirlooms are perceived to be locally adapted and genetically diverse. In this study
The specialty vegetable market is a rapidly expanding niche in the produce industry. One popular sector of this market is focused on heirloom tomatoes. Heirloom varieties, mostly open-pollinated, are often favored for their taste and unique shapes and colors. Older, traditional varieties have been maintained mostly by home gardeners, seed saver organizations, and government germplasm centers, but are becoming increasingly popular with commercial growers, consumers, and seed companies. Special growing techniques and attention to postharvest handling is also necessary with heirloom tomatoes because most do not have an extended shelf life. For growers willing to develop special harvesting and handling techniques, specialty tomatoes offer colors, shapes, and flavors that are an important part of today's cuisine. Performance of a given cultivar will vary from year to year depending on several factors: planting date, irrigation, disease pressure, staking practices, and climatic conditions during the growing season. Fourteen heirloom tomato cultivars have been researched at Ohio State Univ. (OSU) since 1995. Data collected on yield, fruit characteristics, market outlets, cultural information, special harvesting and handling requirements, and disease pressure for heirloom cultivars will be presented.
, 2001 ). To date, few studies have examined the effect of grafting on fruit quality and sensory attributes of heirloom tomatoes, which are often perceived to have outstanding eating quality ( Di Gioia et al., 2010 ). Increased yields and enhanced fruit
Modern tomato breeding has led to improvements in postharvest attributes including shelf life, but this has come with a noticeable decrease in fruit flavor ( Klee, 2010 ). Educated consumers have begun demanding heirloom tomatoes for their superior
fresh tomato market indicate increasing consumer demand for both organically grown and heirloom varieties ( Calvin and Cook, 2005 ; Lucier, 2009 ; Lyson et al., 1995 ; Stevens-Garmon et al., 2007 ). Organic tomatoes often garner a 15% to 20% price
The demand for heirloom tomato varieties has increased consistently over the last couple of decades, driven by sprouting farmers markets, growing interest in organic produce, and local food movements. Heirloom varieties are valued for their improved
with seed-saving practices ensures the continuation of landrace (e.g., a locally adapted crop originating and grown in a specific region) and heirloom (e.g., a generationally preserved crop not bound to a specific locality) crop varieties. Heirloom