New 'Mountain Gem' F1 Hybrid Tomato: A Great Choice for Gardens with High Yields, Disease Resistance and Flavor

Seedway and Twilley Seeds have recently released a new hybrid tomato called 'Mountain Gem'. It is determinate, homozygous for the crimson gene (ogc), with large fruit and uniform bright red interior color. Flavor is good for a firm-fruited, high yielding, determinate type with concentrated fruit set. Disease resistances include verticillium wilt (Ve), fusarium wilt races 1 and 2 (I, I-2), TSWV (Sw-5), tomato mosaic virus (Tm-2), and late blight (Ph-2 + Ph-3 combined). It has shown wide adaptability and can be used in home gardens, local markets, and large scale commercial production for both conventional and organic culture.

The combination of horticultural traits and disease resistances make it suitable for breeding purposes. The parentage of 'Mountain Gem' is NC 4GEM x NC 1GEM. NC 4GEM was developed by selfing the F1 hybrid Primo Red which contains the TSWV (Sw-5 gene), tomato mosaic virus resistance (Tm-2 gene), Ve gene, I and I-2 genes, and crimson (ogc gene). NC 1GEM was created from crossing a parent line of 'Mountain Majesty' with NC 1CELBR, which has the Ph-2 + Ph-3 genes for late blight resistance. This hybrid was then selfed to create NC 1GEM which also has the Ve, I, and I-2 genes so 'Mountain Gem' is homozygous for these three genes.

This variety is about 75 days old and grows to approximately 3 feet in height with thick flesh that makes it suitable as a slicer or paste. It has nearly unique flavor quality that is balanced enough to be sweet but still retains an excellent balance of acids and sugar. People who have canned or processed it are very satisfied with the results. All in all, this seems like an interesting variety that could potentially become a favorite among gardeners.The 'Mountain Gem' F1 hybrid tomato is a great choice for gardeners looking for an early-maturing, high yielding variety with good disease resistance and flavor. It has the potential to be used in home gardens, local markets, and large scale commercial production. With its parentage of NC 4GEM x NC 1GEM it is homozygous for Ve, I and I-2 genes as well as TSWV (Sw-5 gene), tomato mosaic virus resistance (Tm-2 gene) and crimson (ogc gene). Its thick flesh makes it suitable as a slicer or paste while its balanced flavor makes it enjoyable fresh or processed. All in all this looks like an interesting variety that could become popular among gardeners!