A Brazilian partnership has developed three new tomato cultivars that are expected to hit the market in 2012, website Revistagloborural.globo.com reported.

Horticultural business Embrapa Hortaliças and seed company Agrocinco have bred three different cultivars under the names 'BRS Iracema', 'BRS Kiara' and 'BRS Nagai', the story reported.

Both the Kiara and the Nagai are Santa Cruz variety hybrids, with the developers describing the former as very productive, firm during post-harvest and with good bunch sequences, the story reported.

The Nagai is a bit more elongated, and has a tolerance for begomovirus species and a resistance to Tospovirus species.

Embrapa Technology Transfer manager of business planning Raul Rosinha, said Agrocinco would have marketing exlusivity for the cultivars for the next 10 years.

"This is an interesting alternative for the company and for Embrapa, to be able to make up the portfolio of the company," Rosinha was quoted as saying.

Photo: Globo Rural

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