Parma, Idaho, USA
February 16, 2010
More than 109,800 loads—nearly 5.5 million pounds—of Nunhems' SUN 6366 processing tomato were delivered to California processors in 2009 according to the Processing Tomato Advisory Board. This makes SUN 6366 the number one variety grown in the state which is responsible for more than 90 percent of the nation’s processed tomatoes.
Nunhems, the vegetable seed business of Bayer CropScience, is proud of its variety's triumph. "The performance of SUN 6366 has silenced the myth that a high tonnage crop of tomatoes cannot have a high level of brix and fruit quality," said Carl Hill, Nunhems Processing Tomato Crop Sales Manager. “It’s very fulfilling to know many growers are enjoying tremendous success with the help of this variety.”
First introduced commercially in 2004, only 118 loads of SUN 6366 were delivered its first season. Its popularity expanded steadily and rapidly as growers recognized the genetics of the variety provided excellent yields of harvestable fruit for the professional tomato grower and high quality fruit useful in a wide range of products for tomato processors. The 109,800 loads from 2009, or nearly 33 billion individual tomatoes, represent double the total number of loads delivered for the first five years the variety was commercially available, according to data reported by the California Tomato Advisory Board.
More importantly, the quality of the fruit was excellent. The loads delivered in 2009 averaged only 0.9% mold and 1.7% limited use as well as an impressive 5.58 brix, slightly better than the average of 5.56 brix SUN 6366 delivered between 2004 and 2009. This level of consistency added to the variety’s reputation among both growers and processors who also appreciated its true mid-season maturity at 118 days and standard disease resistance package (VFFNP).
SUN 6366 is a result of Nunhems’ integrated breeding program, which utilizes a network of specialized research teams around the world to facilitate, complement, and accelerate plant breeder’s work. This approach results in innovative and competitive varieties that deliver the yield, resistance, and traits the growers need.
"It's been an incredible ride for this variety," Hill said. "We expect its success to continue as we work closely with growers to maximize its performance in every way possible."
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