Tomatoes are the primary crop here, and emphasis is placed on developing new cultivars for the whole-pack peeled tomato market. The tomato industry wants varieties with improved fruit quality and disease resistance. All aspects of tomato production are analyzed fertility, transplant quality, growth regulators, weed management, and tomato peeling and processing. Peeling efficiency is an important project if too much of the peel is removed from the tomato, processors lose money and consumers lose nutrients. Tomatoes are grown at the branch and then processed into canned products for evaluation.
Scientists measure the efficiency and ease of peeling and processing.
The tomato plots are harvested and fruit is transported to Ohio State labs in Columbus and Wooster for quality analysis, including such traits as color uniformity, acidity and firmness. The network covers Ohio, Indiana and Michigan tomato industries. The system helps growers decide when to schedule sprays against three major tomato diseases. With TOM-CAST, growers know to spray only when conditions are favorable for disease, rather than on a regular basis. This saves growers money and minimizes pesticide applications.