Method for breeding tomatoes having reduced water content and product of the method

Abstract

A method for breeding tomato plants that produce tomatoes with reduced fruit water content including the steps of crossing at least one Lycopersicon esculentum plant with a Lycopersicon spp. to produce hybrid seed, collecting the first generation of hybrid seeds, growing plants from the first generation of hybrid seeds, pollinating the plants of the most recent hybrid generation, collecting the seeds produced by the most recent hybrid generation, growing plants from the seeds of the most recent hybrid generation, allowing plants to remain on the vine past the point of normal ripening, and screening for reduced fruit water content as indicated by extended preservation of the ripe fruit and wrinkling of the fruit skin.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of producing tomato fruit capable of natural dehydration comprising:
 (a) crossing at least one  Lycopersicon esculentum  plant with a  Lycopersicon hirsutum  to produce hybrid plants; and subsequently   (b) self-crossing and/or back-crossing said hybrid plants of step (a); and subsequently   (c) growing said hybrid plants of step (b) such that the fruit remains on the vine of said hybrid plants past normal red ripe harvest stage; and subsequently   (d) screening said hybrid plants of step (c) and isolating plants having fruit exhibiting a wrinkling phenotype, thereby producing tomato fruit capable of natural dehydration.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising harvesting said tomato fruit following fruit wrinkling. 
     
     
         3 . A method of producing tomato fruit capable of natural dehydration comprising seeding tomato seeds, said tomato seeds directly or indirectly derived from said plants having said fruit exhibiting said wrinkling phenotype of  claim 1 , thereby producing tomato fruit capable of natural dehydration. 
     
     
         4 . A tomato plant obtained by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         5 . An isolated tomato fruit obtained from the plant of  claim 4 . 
     
     
         6 . An isolated tomato seed obtained from the isolated tomato fruit of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         7 . A tomato plant, at least one ancestor thereof being the tomato plant of  claim 4 . 
     
     
         8 . An isolated tomato fruit obtained from the plant of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         9 . An isolated tomato seed obtained from the isolated tomato fruit of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         10 . An isolated whole tomato fruit comprising a genome of the  Lycopersicon esculentum  species, wherein said genome comprises an introgression from  Lycopersicon hirsutum , said introgression allowing natural fruit dehydration which results in skin wrinkling of the tomato fruit. 
     
     
         11 . An isolated whole tomato fruit comprising a genome of the  Lycopersicon esculentum  species, wherein said genome comprises an introgression from  Lycopersicon hirsutum , said introgression causing untreated skin wrinkling of the tomato fruit. 
     
     
         12 . A tomato product comprising a dried or semi-dried tomato fruit which comprises a genome of the  Lycopersicon esculentum  species, wherein said genome comprises an introgression from  Lycopersicon hirsutum , said introgression allowing natural fruit dehydration which results in skin wrinkling of the tomato fruit. 
     
     
         13 . The tomato product of  claim 12  selected from the group consisting of a paste, a sauce and a ketchup. 
     
     
         14 . The tomato product of  claim 12 , wherein a fructose/glucose ratio of said dried or semi-dried tomato fruit is about 1.