Evaluation of the chemical quality of a new type of small-sized tomato cultivar, the plum tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)

The chemical-nutritional attributes were evaluated in plum tomato, a new type of oblong, small-sized tomato that was recently introduced in the European market. Six different cultivars, namely, Dasher, Iride, Navidad, Sabor, 292 and 738, were tested and compared with a cherry-type tomato (cv. Cherubino) which was grown in the same greenhouse under the same conditions. The plum tomato showed important marked differences with respect to the cherry type: more intense red colour, lower acid content and a higher lycopene content. The quality attribute values for cv. 738 were higher than the average values for the other cultivars. In contrast, the cherry-type variety had slightly higher levels of ascorbic acid and b-carotene than the plum tomatoes.