DNA Testing For Show Tomatoes

A flower show is using DNA technology to determine the origin of the tomatoes.

17:22 09 September 2015

A flower show that is giving away £6,000 in total is using DNA technology to determine the origin of the winning tomato. The move is the organiser’s response to competitors’ concerns that a cheating grower might sneak in a rogue variety of tomato.

 

Harrogate Autumn Flower Show is running a Gigantomo class, with a £1,000 top prize sponsored by a mail order plant specialist, which means that entries must be from that strain of plant. On top of the £1,000 prize, the winner could also bring home a further £5,000 if the heaviest fruit sets a new world record.

 

Show director Nick Smith said: “Giant veg growing is great fun and tremendously popular with our visitors, but it also has a serious side, especially with such a big prize at stake.

 

“When experienced growers contacted us to express concern about making sure that the new class for Gigantomo would feature only specimens from that variety, we set out to find a way of being as certain as we possibly can that the winner has the right pedigree.”