Abstract
The loss of genetic diversity due to the replacement of local tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) varieties by improved cultivars has been mitigated in many cases by the good work of organic farmers in maintaining local agricultural biodiversity. In parallel to these initiatives, in recent years, consumers have developed an increasing awareness of both food-related health, environmental issues, and food demand to recover the flavors of the past. In the case of tomatoes, these attributes (nutritional, organoleptic, social, and environmental) are closely related to organic production using local varieties. “Malacara” tomato is an example of a local variety. Coming from Sierra de Cádiz, it is a varietal type called “Cuelga” (“for hanging,” because the tomato trusses are hung from beams in the farmhouses). Cultivated and harvested in the open air during the summer months, these tomatoes are commercialized and consumed in the winter. Historically, this variety has enabled the fresh consumption of tomatoes during the winter, without the need to force cultivation. It is highly appreciated in the local cuisine and is the basis for sauces figuring in typical dishes. Its characteristic traits are small, pallid fruits, and long shelf life. The main objective of this work has been to typify two Malacara tomato cultivars (red and yellow color) grown under organic farming conditions, through the characterization of morphological, nutritional, and volatile parameters. The main differences are due to morphological parameters (fruit weight and color of the exocarp and endocarp). Other characteristics such as the content of ash, fiber, moisture, the concentration of iron, magnesium, and calcium, and content of lycopene are different between both cultivars. This study provides information on the nutritional and aromatic composition of two Malacara tomato cultivars, differentiated by their color and grown under organic farming conditions. The results add value to the native horticultural heritage and can aid in the selection of tomato varieties suitable for a sustainable production system and to produce tomatoes with high nutritional value and rich in aroma.
Highlights
Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, and traditional varieties, play an important role in the sustainability and security of the global food system
Highly significant differences were found between all the morphological parameters between all the two types of Malacara tomatoes studied
In the L∗ it is seen that the exocarp of tomatoes present a measurement difference of 7.29, which means that the yellow Malacara tomatoes are significantly lighter
Summary
Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, and traditional varieties, play an important role in the sustainability and security of the global food system. In recent years there has been the phenomenon of genetic erosion within species, that is, “the loss of individual genes and the loss of particular combinations of genes, such as those manifested in locally adapted varieties” [2]. This erosion has been supported for the contemporary plants breeding investigations, more focused on increasing the productivity of some crop species, than on enhancing cultivated genetic diversity [3]. The work that small farmers have traditionally carried out in the conservation of genetic material adapted to local conditions (soil, climate, and consumption) must be highlighted, and in particular, the important role of organic farmers [4]
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