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On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Take a look at the tomato weights reported for the 2015 tomato weigh-offs. Then see if you can tell what the genetics of the seeds are. Which ones ultimately came from the Big Zac line? Which ones are the offspring of Phil and Jane Hunt's huge Delicious winner of the past? Did any of these seeds grow from Domingo? How about Brutus Magnum? And lets not forget the Zaczilla line which has as of yet not done very well but who knows? And what about my own MegaMarv. All of this information is being lost. It may already be gone. And will anything be done to restore the history of these seed lines? Think how it would have affected the pumpkin seed lines if no data had ever been kept anywhere? What a shame!

12/11/2015 10:16:57 AM

Johnston, Iowa

I agree. Wherein lies the problem? Genetics not getting communicated when seeds are passed along? Poor documentation by the grower, or by the person doing the documenting at the weigh-off?

12/11/2015 12:43:29 PM

Central NY

There's probably mix ups all the way around..lets do better..a few years ago this was brought up..how do we fix it?...if it's too late , how do we go foward with what we have...?

12/11/2015 3:33:18 PM

Lebanon, Oregon

Three years ago I didn't know what growing large tomatoes were about. Saw them at a weigh-off, someone gave me seeds. I couldn't tell you what a MegaMarv was or Big Zac, but I knew I had seeds that would grow a big, red tomato. I grew a large tomato the next year, gave some seeds away to new people. Didn't think anything of the importance of the genetics line in the least bit. I just knew they were big, red tomatoes. That's what it was all about! I think this is how most people start and continue. Now, in my fourth year, I will do better in keeping track. But now, I think the genetic lines are too far removed to even have a clue. If you look at the tomato weigh-off's from five years ago, only a few people kept track of the genetic line (MegaMarv). The rest were last names and many just blank. So with the sport growing and genetic lines lost, I can see for the purist, it is a shame. The majority of growers have no idea, and these are planted year after year. They are all innocent. From the very, very beginning it should of been educated to new growers of the importance of genetic lines, but how would of that been done? Wanting to grow a big red tomato is how it starts, and continues. So five years from now it will be just weights and names with a few genetic lines thrown in. I do have Domingo seeds (thank you Porkchop) and will document as such, but the rest are just big, red tomatoes grown by me, given to me from friends of friends of friends..

12/11/2015 8:45:49 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Wanting to grow an orange pumpkin was sort of how the pumpkin growing got started, wasn't it? Then wanting to grow a big orange pumpkin came. Next came wanting to grow the biggest orange pumpkin. Then just wanting to grow the biggest pumpkin, maybe sort of orange. Now some growers are thinking they want to grow a really big orange pumpkin again. And all of this could never have happened without some understanding of the seed lines, making better crosses etc? Selecting out certain seeds producing certain characteristics in the pumpkins. And without some consideration of genetics, none of this would have taken place. And, of course, there are lots of people just buying "pumpkin seeds" at Walmart or wherever, and that's okay too, for them. Growing bigger and bigger tomatoes as time passes does depend on some understanding of the seeds being grown. And this knowledge is being lost except for a few tomato growers and maybe this is how it will go. Or maybe each year growers will just go for seed from the biggest tomato of the year and the seed selection will take place that way. That could be the route it takes. We will see.

12/12/2015 8:40:02 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

I have just discovered tomato.giantstogrow.com . It has links to giant pumpkins,field pumpkin, long gourd, squash, watermelon, tomato and cantaloupe. More growers need to enter their information. I dont see where the variety is listed. It seems to me that the varieties will be crossed thru time anyway.

12/12/2015 10:49:59 AM

Bethlehem CT

I think it will be a fight to get growers to care about tomato genetics because It is harder to get excited about tomato family trees. Most tomatoes are selfed. So a family tree is basically a straight line. I do agree a grower should be aware of the line he is growing. The genetics become much more important when people start making controlled crosses.

12/12/2015 1:57:58 PM

Wixom MI.

i dont think that it a lack of excitement being the problem as much as it is for someone to make their own crosses.right now almost everyone is using toothbrush to self pollinate or just let nature do the job for them.for me it is important because i am trying to cross different varieties together but even i find it prety tough to get the timming just right to make the crosses that i wont.also it's much easier to cross single blooms over mega blooms.

12/12/2015 2:25:42 PM

East Carbon, Utah

I've been dropping the ball here! At least through 2014 I have lineages for the majority of the tomatoes submitted through GPC. I just have not taken the time to organize and publish the lists.

Plus, I have been working on several crosses, all of which have genealogy documented as indicated:

►Hoy (~3 Kott 2011) X Delicious (6.51 Meisner 2011)(7.33 Hunt 2010)
►Rebecca Sebastian's Bull Bag X Big Zac (4.57 MacCoy 2013)(5.07 Bouydo 2010)
►Bezrazmernyi (1.698 DT 2012) X Big Zac (5.50 Johnston/Butler 2012)(5.58 Timm 2008)
►Wes (1.718 DT 2012) X Big Zac (4.57 MacCoy 2013)(5.07 Bouydo 2010)
►Brutus Magnum (2.006 DT 2012)(6.25 Meisner 2011) X Big Zac (4.57 MacCoy 2013)(5.07 Bouydo 2010)
►Michael's Portuguese Monster (2.610 DT 2012) X Delicious (6.51 Meisner 2011)(7.33 Hunt 2010)
►Belmonte (1.556 DT 2011)(4.14 Perry 2009) X Big Zac (2.962 DT 2012)...(4.83 Perry 2009))
►Michael's Portuguese Monster (2.610 DT 2012) X MegaMarv (4.23 Wahl 2012)(5.51 Meisner 2011)
►Bezrazmernyi (1.698 DT 2012) X Big Zac (4.57 MacCoy 2013)(5.07 Bouydo 2010)
►Shuntukski Velikan (1.978 DT 2012) X Big Zac (3.75 Catapano 2007)(4.59 Lyons 2006)

These crosses were all made in 2014, and a few local growers gave promising feedback from their 2015 growouts. I have F2 seeds of most of these crosses now as well. But 2015 was a near disaster, long story... I hope to continue selecting these lines and making more crosses in 2016.

Plus I'm working with Marv's crosses (DelMar and DelZac) and Zaczilla.

I'm working with the OSSI (Open Seed Source Initiative), as their mission statement aligns well with my beliefs about germplasm - "Free the Seed"...

2/9/2016 3:51:24 AM

East Carbon, Utah

Selecting from only the very biggest specimen year after year may indeed lead to increasing fruit size. But the increases will be relatively slow and dependent far more on growing conditions and grower skill than on genetic advances.

Aside from the very rare mutation, constant inbreeding means essentially constant genetics. As with pumpkins and virtually all domesticated plants and animals, significant improvements at the genetic level for tomatoes will come through systematic, disciplined cross-breeding and selection. Good record keeping is part of this process, and it is a long, slow process.

Growing giant tomatoes is a sport, and the majority of us on here do it for the fun of it, I think. And that's great - the more the merrier!

For the few who are more serious about tomato breeding, it is always helpful to have family tree information included and submitted along with weights and dates, if that information is available. It is a little extra trouble for record keeping, but is always appreciated by the tomato breeders :-)

My 2 cents...

2/9/2016 4:07:27 AM