Organic tomato production is growing rapidly in Midwestern states in the US, as evidenced by a USDA study that found certified organic tomato production increased more than 277% in the region from 2007-2011. The authors of a report in the September 2015 issue of HortScience say that to keep up with high consumer demand, organic tomato growers need to identify cultivars that are well-adapted to local conditions, are viable under organic management practices, and have the quality characteristics that consumers want.
Purdue University's Lori Hoagland is the corresponding author of the report on an organic tomato participatory breeding program. Hoagland explained that participatory breeding is a powerful and cost-effective way to engage growers in the development of new cultivars optimally adapted to organic farming systems. Hoagland and scientists John Navazio, Jared Zystro, Ian Kaplan, Jose Gomez Vargas, and Kevin Gibson focused their research on the first two phases of a participatory breeding program model.