Cajamar involved in R & D of tomato varieties more resistant to climate change.

The company is one of the members of the project TomGEM, looking for new varieties more resistant to the effects of high temperatures.

The tomato is growing wider dissemination worldwide, the second in production and higher economic value.

As stated in the website of the Department of Social Commitment Cooperativo Cajamar Group in one of his last publications, Carlos Soria work Baixauli, responsable de Agrosostenibilidad del Experiences Center Cajamar, in all production areas you can be found what is known as "varieties population".

For example, in Valencia a type of tomato known as Valencia occurs, with populations contribute small morphological differences, depending on the selection and the region in which occurs.

The sugar content of tomatoes is tied to the state of maturity of the fruit and premature harvesting adversely affects its content.

Tomato dominate the citric and malic acid, It is maximum with the pink color of the fruit and then gradually decreasing. It is used as fresh produce in salads, filled, in brine, frito, as garnish. It has a different use in industry, as juice, Crushed tomato, frito, whole packaging, para pistos, for cokes and cakes.

However, to the expected increase in temperature and declining rainfall, as a result of climate change, It will require adaptation measures, especially on crops and in particular for tomato.

According to the publication, climate change is a fundamental aspect for the coming agriculture it is affecting fruit and vegetables. In the case of the tomato crop incidence of elevated temperatures above 35 ° C decreases pollen viability.

flowering, its curdle or pollinate with those temperatures also decreases and these clusters are lost, which has a major impact on the yield that can be obtained and, consequently, calling into question the economic viability of many producers.

During spring 2016, It has launched a European project, within the Horizon program 2020, known as TomGEM, with the collaboration of the Cajamar Foundation, which aims to improve tomato crop to rising temperatures are causing climate change.

In early May, the first meeting of the participants in this project was held and the last day facilities Experience Center Cajamar visited in Paiporta.

The investigators visited the greenhouses where the Cajamar Foundation experiment with tomato cultivation under the project TomGEM.

Over the next four years the evolution of a be checked 1.000 species and varieties of tomato in high temperature conditions, modeling the situation that climate change can cause worldwide.

The initiative has the support of 17 universities and research centers in eight countries (France, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Argentina and Taiwan), Soria said Baixauli.