Project Grant 23SCMPCA1021

THE PROJECT TEAM FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ (UCSC) AND OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY (OSU) WILL EVALUATE THE PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCCESSFUL DRY-FARMED TOMATO PRODUCTION. DRY-FARMED TOMATOES ARE GROWN BY SMALL-SCALE ORGANIC FARMERS IN COASTAL CALIFORNIA AND THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY OF OREGON. HOWEVER, DROUGHT STRESS CAN EXACERBATE PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDERS LIKE BLOSSOM-END ROT (BER), WHICH CAN RESULT IN CROP FAILURE. UNDERSTANDING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS THAT UNDERPIN DRY-FARMED TOMATO SUCCESS WILL ALLOW BREEDERS AND FARMERS TO DEVELOP TOMATO VARIETIES THAT CAN TOLERATE DROUGHT AND PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY FRUIT. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AS CLIMATE CHANGE WILL RESULT IN HOTTER AND DRIER SUMMERS IN THE WESTERN US. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL: (A) CONDUCT AND COMPARE PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS ALONG WITH YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY MEASUREMENTS USING DRY-FARMED AND IRRIGATED TOMATOES TO DETERMINE HOW THEY DIFFER, (B) EVALUATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS AND YIELD AND BER FOR DRY-FARMED TOMATO GROWN UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS, (C) CONDUCT ON-FARM TRIALS FOR HIGH-PERFORMING VARIETIES, ALLOWING FARMERS TO ASSESS THEIR QUALITY, AND (D) SHARE PROJECT FINDINGS WITH DRY-FARMED VEGETABLE GROWERS IN CALIFORNIA AND OREGON. THE TEAM EXPECTS THAT SOME PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED MARKETABLE YIELDS AND REDUCED LOSSES TO PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDERS, ALLOWING FARMERS AND BREEDERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHICH TRAITS TO TARGET WHEN BREEDING TOMATOES FOR DRY FARMING. THE TWO RESEARCH TEAMS HAVE A NETWORK OF COLLABORATING FARMERS, WHOLESALERS, AND AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS WHO PRACTICE DRY FARMING IN OREGON AND CALIFORNIA. OREGON HAS A GOOD MODEL OF A LONG-STANDING DRY FARM COLLABORATIVE THAT MEETS ANNUALLY, AND WITHIN CALIFORNIAS CENTRAL COAST NETWORK OF GROWERS THE PROJECT TEAM IS WORKING TO ESTABLISH A GROUP FOCUSED ON DRY FARM TOMATOES. THESE DRY FARM COLLABORATIVE GROUPS WILL FORM A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE OF APPROXIMATELY 40 GROWERS AND WILL BE ENGAGED WITH PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH, WITH A COHORT OF 5-7 -MORE INVOLVED AS ON-FARM TOMATO TRIAL SITES IN EACH STATE. IN ADDITION TO THESE COHORTS, THE FOUR FIELD DAYS OFFERED WILL BRING AN ESTIMATED 200 GROWERS COMBINED TO THE OSU AND UCSC FARM SITES OVER TWO SUMMERS. FURTHER BENEFICIARIES WILL BE THOSE REACHED WITH THE PUBLICATIONS, VIDEO, AND WEB INFORMATION ABOUT DRY-FARMING, AN ESTIMATED 1,000 GROWERS VIEWING DIGITAL INFORMATION AND 3,500 VIEWING DRY FARM TOMATO VIDEOS NATIONWIDE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. ACCESS TO IRRIGATION REMAINS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR AGRICULTURE IN THE WESTERN U.S. BY BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE PHYSIOLOGY OF DRY-FARMED CROPS, BOTH DRY-FARMED TOMATO GROWERS AND THE CALIFORNIA PROCESSED TOMATO INDUSTRY WILL BE BETTER EQUIPPED TO BREED VARIETIES THAT RESIST DROUGHT STRESS.