Seminis Introduces Dixie Red Fresh Tomato Variety
October 7, 2014 Seminis, part of Monsanto Company’s Vegetable Seeds Division, recently announced the launch of its new Dixie Red hybrid tomato seed. The variety features larger fruit, an improved disease package and higher yield potential compared to Florida 47 R hybrid tomato seed.
“Dixie Red tomato seed will help growers get more fruit out of their fields, which is something they really care about,” said Alfredo Moreno, Seminis technology development representative. “I’ve observed Dixie Red through multiple field trials, and it clearly stood out in this capacity – producing more pounds per acre than Florida 47 R in most trials.”
Dixie Red’s increased productivity potential can be attributed to its strong disease package, providing the opportunity for more fruit to be harvested at the end of the growth season. The variety features high resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus, Alternanaria stem canker, Fusarium wilt, gray leaf spot, and Verticillium wilt.
Additional benefits of the variety include an earlier maturity (87 days) compared to Florida 47 R, intermediate resistance to root-knot nematodes, hot set capabilities, as well as its ability to be harvested when it’s green or red, while still maintaining its firm fruit.
Dixie Red tomato seed will initially be available in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, and is ideal for the main growing season in those states as well as in the fall in Florida. Next year, Seminis plans to make the variety available throughout the Northeast U.S. as well.
“We’re proud of the research and trials that brought Dixie Red to where it is today,” said Moreno. “But that’s just the beginning. Seminis continues to invest in developing the best hybrids. We’re looking forward to more varieties coming down the pipeline in the future.”
Source: Seminis news release
Subscribe Today For
