Cherry Tomatoes Produced In Large Scale in Pakistan

Through state-of-the-art technology, the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), Karachi University (KU) in Pakistan has successfully grown a foreign variety of tomatoes known as cherry tomatoes in its green houses on large scale.

Director of ICCBS Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary said that seeds of cherry tomato were initially taken from Canada and germinated at the biotechnology wing. The plantlets were initially grown in green houses where environmental conditions were comparatively controlled. After the first cultivation from seeds, disease-free and healthy plants were propagated at mass scale using plant tissue culture and cutting techniques. The newly propagated plants were then allowed to grow for fruiting.

Choudhary explained that the tomatoes could be picked when they are glossy and evenly colored, except in the case of streaked heirloom tomatoes. "A handful of plants will produce a large volume of the small tomatoes, especially once they really get going in the hot summer months. In cooler climates, cherry tomatoes do best in a greenhouse," he added. In the near future, novel trait features will be developed using genetic engineering.

Read the original article at http://www.pabic.com.pk/FT.htm.