Book of the Month

Michael Wolraich's picture

How the Tomato Lost Its Taste

by Michael Wolraich 6/29/2012 - 1:57 pm

Plant geneticists say they have discovered an answer to a near-universal question: Why are tomatoes usually so tasteless?

...

The unexpected culprit is a gene mutation that occurred by chance and that was discovered by tomato breeders. It was deliberately bred into almost all tomatoes because it conferred an advantage: It made them a uniform luscious scarlet when ripe.

Now, in a paper published in the journal Science, researchers report that the very gene that was inactivated by that mutation plays an important role in producing the sugar and aromas that are the essence of a fragrant, flavorful tomato. And these findings provide a road map for plant breeders to make better-tasting, evenly red tomatoes.

The discovery “is one piece of the puzzle about why the modern tomato stinks,” said Harry Klee, a tomato researcher at the University of Florida in Gainesville who was not involved in the research. “That mutation has been introduced into almost all modern tomatoes. Now we can say that in trying to make the fruit prettier, they reduced some of the important compounds that are linked to flavor.”

Read the full article at http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=1&ved=0CCsQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2012%2F06%2F29%2Fscience%2Fflavor-is-the-price-of-tomatoes-scarlet-hue-geneticists-say.html&ei=NertT_WYFoGk9ATl74mJAg&usg=AFQjCNFadUSN8g3ObOPg-VpD1XHoPbrO0Q&sig2=cjLqV3_iMYg3JrK7ny7ctQ

Tomato sacrilege!

"But were the genetically engineered tomatoes more flavorful? Because Department of Agriculture regulations forbid the consumption of experimental produce, no one tasted them.

And, Dr. Giovannoni says, do not look for those genetically engineered tomatoes at the grocery store. Producers would not dare to make such a tomato for fear that consumers would reject it.

But, Dr. Powell said, there is a way around the issue. Heirloom tomatoes and many wild species do not have the uniform ripening mutation. “The idea is to get the vegetable seed industry interested,” Dr. Powell said."

My god, it's like a stab in the heart to me.

There are a few heirloom green tomatoes that come to mind if one must try the unusual. German Green, Green Zebra, and Green Grape. If you don't grow them yourself, you might be able to find them at local farmer's markets in season.

But, anyway, we don't NEED no stinkin' pretend green tomatoes! We already have the real deal. Good grief! I'm so glad I left all the Frankenstein tomato/vegetable stuff behind and concentrated on the non-engineering branch of botany.

by flowerchild 6/29/2012 - 4:49 pm

There is no difference between what the people who created the tasteless tomatoes did and what the people who created those you call "heirlooms" now did long ago. And both no difference from what Mendl was checking out with his peas. The original tomato plant thousands of years ago didn't have edible fruit. (Likewise, the original dog was not a German shepherd with bad hips.) The problem is not the production of new varieties, the problem is not continually insuring lots of variety and therefore allowing a few to dominate. Agriculture and gardening are not natural, they are man trying to bend nature to his will, and there has always been great danger in that.

by artappraiser 6/29/2012 - 5:31 pm (re: flowerchild)

The difference in what the people who created the tasteless tomato did in the laboratory and what the people who bred the heirlooms did in their gardens is speed. The rapid manipulation of plant metabolisms cannot be duplicated by lay gardeners who are at the mercy of a limited growing season, errant weather, and bad luck.

Whether or not the original tomato plant had an edible fruit is a moot point. At some point, either through human interference or more likely by natural mutation, the fruit did become edible and then became of interest to humans.

Like you said, there are no shortages of new varieties of tomatoes,or of almost every other food plant, and each modern variety (with an exception or three) has a precise parentage bred in a precise sequence. These parental and grand-parental seeds are kept going in their true form in order to keep a back stock viable for the modern varieties. Generally, these are the warts and all 'heirlooms'.

The few varieties of tomatoes that do dominate are those that deliver what the consumer/grower demands. That doesn't necessarily mean they are all that awesome. It just means they fulfill a requirement, esthetic or otherwise. It becomes a business decision.

Agriculture and gardening are matters of convenience. Hunting and gathering takes all year and you never know what you're gonna get let alone if you're gonna get anything at all. Farming is a seasonal endeavor with the outcome in general being fairly specific and fairly reliable. Agriculture bends to the will of the seasons which, if I recall correctly, are part of nature. Mankind can try all it wants to bend nature to its will, but any victories are only temporary.

It's possible, ArtA, that I am being disagreeably agreeable with your points.  smiley
 

by flowerchild 6/29/2012 - 7:48 pm (re: artappraiser)

Point of order: I think maybe you are confusing the introduction of the tasteless red tomato trait, which the article explains Breeders stumbled upon the variety about 70 years ago and saw commercial potential-- that happened the old fashioned way, only the new marketing was the problem--and the new genetic engineering being discussed to try to put the flavor back while keeping it red?

But yeah, big picture, we don't have a lot of disagreement; all long time gardeners know 'zactly what kind of stuff they've really been up to! Magic and failure, stuff like that. wink

by artappraiser 6/29/2012 - 9:31 pm (re: flowerchild)

I am not confused as to what the article reported although I might have wandered off its point a bit. The confusing part for me is why should they want to do this? Flavor is already there in particular varieties. Just because those particular varieties are homely is no excuse to perform plastic surgery on 'em. I mean, why can't the Mad Men sell us the charm of an ugly tomato? They can sell us everything else it seems.

by flowerchild 6/29/2012 - 9:51 pm (re: artappraiser)

Latest Comments

more