What leads you to think that Pitako is a GM tomato?
There are no Genetically Modified tomatoes on sale in the UK as far as I know. But it's likely that a Genetically Edited tomato will be available in the not too distant future in the USA. It is also being considered by the UK Govt. Seeds will be available both commercially and to the public. There was an article in New Scientist last month - I don't know if you have to be a subscriber to read. It was developed in the UK at the John Innes centre in 2008. Mice fed on these tomatoes lived on average nearly 30% longer lives! The tomato has a purple skin and purple flesh and was created by adding 2 genes. One from an antirrhinum and one from thale cress. It also has double the shelf life of normal supermarket tomatoes.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I collected and planted some seeds from a Pitako tomato that I bought in a supermarket and they have germinated. Will they grow true to their parent? I know that GM plants are not everyone's cup of tea, but it is claimed that there are health benefits from purple tomatoes.
any update at all re how they turned out last year? i'm doing this myself this year and am very intrigued to see what i get!
I grew Blue Bayou last year and have sown more this year. It has deep blue-purple skin when ripe, but the flesh inside is red. Quite nice tasting to me, sweet but not too sweet with a hint of sharpness. I don't know whether it would have the same health benefits as a tomato with purple flesh.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I was very pleased, they turned out like the ones I bought from the shop. This year I'm trying some different ones I collected from shop bought tomatoes (Santini and Piccolini). Sorry about the photo - I don't know why it's sideways!
I grew Blue Bayou last year and have sown more this year. It has deep blue-purple skin when ripe, but the flesh inside is red. Quite nice tasting to me, sweet but not too sweet with a hint of sharpness. I don't know whether it would have the same health benefits as a tomato with purple flesh.
Posts
There are no Genetically Modified tomatoes on sale in the UK as far as I know.
But it's likely that a Genetically Edited tomato will be available in the not too distant future in the USA. It is also being considered by the UK Govt. Seeds will be available both commercially and to the public.
There was an article in New Scientist last month - I don't know if you have to be a subscriber to read.
It was developed in the UK at the John Innes centre in 2008.
Mice fed on these tomatoes lived on average nearly 30% longer lives!
The tomato has a purple skin and purple flesh and was created by adding 2 genes. One from an antirrhinum and one from thale cress.
It also has double the shelf life of normal supermarket tomatoes.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
or purple cauliflower.
This year I'm trying some different ones I collected from shop bought tomatoes (Santini and Piccolini).
Sorry about the photo - I don't know why it's sideways!