The New Jersey State University proudly presents the Scarlet Sunrise variety, a sweeter and more robust tomato.
New Jersey's Rutgers University has given foodies a new reason to celebrate: a brand new tomato variety. As the university announced in August, a team led by biologists Peter Nitzsche and Tom Orton finally perfected their Scarlet Sunrise variety after over a decade of research. It is "sweet, crack-resistant and is characterized by a golden coloration with a reddish shimmer". According to the researchers, its name was inspired by the "sky over New Jersey".
According to Rutgers, the new tomato was cross-bred from the regular and the bi-colored cherry tomato in a project that had been underway since 2012. As the researchers explain in their report, the so-called backcrossing method was used. Certain characteristics such as color or taste were specifically combined to develop the desired traits. At the same time, the properties were tested both in the laband in the field to ensure that they are suitable for cultivation.
One of the biggest challenges was pollinating the tomato blossoms by hand, a job that required a great deal of care. The plant's flowers are delicate and tiny, so the risk of self-pollination or damage to the flowers was high.
The tomato was originally due to be introduced in 2020, but several setbacks delayed the project. Among other things, the pandemic affected global seed distribution. As researcher Tom Orton explained in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, there were moments of great frustration when the team feared their project might fail. Despite these obstacles, the scientists kept at it, and the result is impressive: Thanks to the balanced ratio of sugar and acidity, Scarlet Sunrise is an ideal snack. The team is now looking for start-up partnerships with commercial growers to make the tomato accessible to a wider audience.
