Wilt no more: New tomato varieties set to boost vegetable economy

Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, has achieved a significant breakthrough with the development of two wilt-resistant tomato varieties, “Him Palam Tamatar-1” and “Him Palam Tamatar-2”. Announcing the achievement, Vice-Chancellor Professor Naveen Kumar highlighted that these high-yielding varieties, bred by the university’s Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, are resistant to bacterial wilt, one of the most-devastating challenges for tomato growers in Himachal Pradesh.

Bacterial wilt is a serious constraint to tomato cultivation in the state, particularly in lower and mid-mountainous regions. The disease causes young plants to wilt and yellow within 10-15 days of infection, often wiping out entire crops. Spread through seeds and soil, it thrives in high humidity and warm temperatures. Farmers have been forced to abandon tomato, bell pepper and red chilli cultivation in severely affected areas, as no chemical treatment has proven effective. Cultivating resistant varieties remains the only practical solution.

After nearly two decades of dedicated research, scientists at the university have released “Him Palam Tomato-1” and “Him Palam Tomato-2”, which combine high yield potential with strong resistance to bacterial wilt. The proposal for these varieties was approved at the university’s Agriculture Officers’ Workshop on May 4, 2024, and has been submitted to the State Varietal Release Committee (SVRC) for approval. Once cleared, seeds will be supplied to farmers across Himachal Pradesh, enabling commercial tomato production even in wilt-prone areas.

The Vice-Chancellor congratulated the team of scientists from the Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture on their long-term research and expressed hope that these varieties would revive tomato cultivation in disease-affected regions, improving farmers’ incomes and strengthening the state’s vegetable economy.