The tomato’s path from wild plant to household staple is much more complex than

researchers have long thought. For many years, scientists believed that humans
domesticated the tomato in two major phases. First, native people in South America
cultivated blueberry-sized wild tomatoes about 7,000 years ago to breed a plant with
a cherry-sized fruit. Later, people in Mesoamerica bred this intermediate group
further to form the large cultivated tomatoes that we eat today.
But in a recent study, we show that the cherry-sized tomato likely originated in
Ecuador around 80,000 years ago. No human groups were domesticating plants that
long ago, so this implies that it started as a wild species, although people in Peru and
Ecuador probably cultivated it later.
Origin and distribution Tomato has its origin in Peru and Bolivia on the basis of
availability of numerous wild and cultivated relatives of the tomato in this area. 
From its centre of origin, the tomato first moved to Mexico for domestication and
cultivation Area and production In India tomato grown in an area 4.58 lakh ha. And
74.62 lakh tonns respectively with a productivity of 16.29 tonns / ha. The leading
producing states are UP, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujrat, Punjab, Haryana and Bihar.

4. Uses •Tomato is also rich in medicinal value. •The pulp and juice are digestible,
mild aperients, a promoter of gastric secretion and blood purifier. •It is reported to
have antiseptic properties against intestinal infestations. •In the present days, it is
gaining more medicinal importance because of the antioxidant property of ascorbic
acid and lycopene content. •It is also an important source of -carotene and valued
for their colour and flavour. •Thus, today it is one of the important raw materials for
multimillion food industries. Tomatoes are also called as “Poor man’s apple”.
•Tomato is consumed either fresh, cooked or processed into various products like
juice, ketchup, sauce, puree.

Evolution description and importance of tomato Next Previous End

Evolution description and importance of tomato Origin

• The first reference of tomato appears in 16th Century herbalistis, but they are brief
and only identify it as newly introduced into Europe.

• Two hypotheses have been put forward with regard to its place of origin. •
Mullar(1940a, 1940 b) and Luckwill (1943) suggested that tomato was transported to
Europe from Peru sometime in 1535.

• Only two areas have received attention as potential sites of domestication, namely
Peru and Central Mexico. Previous Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato

• The critical evidence cited by them is that the early names ‘Male peruviana’ and
‘Pomi del Peru’ indicate a Peruvian origin. • On the other hand, some authors
mentioned the possibility of a Mexican origin. • Von Humbloldt (1821) mentioned
tomato among a list of plants that may probably be considered as Mexican. • Both
hypotheses have been frequently quoted. Previous Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato • In 1544, Mathiolus gave the

common name ‘Pomi d’oro’ with its latin equivalent ‘Mala aurea’ for the first time. •
Furthermore, the name ‘Pomi d’ oro’ has persisted in Italy as the common name of
tomato. • Dodonaeus, in his Flemish edition of Herbal in 1544 described tomato in a
separate chapter entitled ‘Of Amorous apples or Golden apples’. Previous Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato • Anguillara, Semplici (1561) there

is a short note entitled ‘Lycopersico di galeno’. On Anguillaras edition two new
names ‘pomic del Peru’and ‘ Lycopersican’ were introduced into the synonymy and
because firmly established through repetition in subsequent works. • infact the later
name has persisted as the scientific name of the genus for quite a long time.
Previous Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato • Whatever may be the geography

of domestication of the tomato, its immediate ancestor was probably var.
cerasiforme as concluded by Jenkins (1948) and still widely accepted. • He also
suggested that it is reasonably certain that Mexico and not Peru was the source of
the cultivated tomatoes of the old world and probably and only centre of
domestication of the tomatoes as there is a wide spread distribution of var.
cerasiforme in Mexico. Previous Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato • The var. cerasiforme also bears
greater genetic resemblance to the cultivated tomato than L. pimpinellifollium which
is probably a by-product rather than a member of the stem line of the crop. • Robert
Gibbon Johanson (1820) demonstration its edibility. Previous Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato Previous Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato Tomato belongs to the family

Solanaceae and genus Lycopersicon. The genus includes 12 species, all native to
South America. The genus differs from Solanum by the absence of spines in the
pinnatifid leaves and anther tips are narrow and exhibit longitudinal dehiscence.
According to Mullar (1940a) and Luckwill (1943), the genus is further subdivided into
two subgenera. Previous Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato Based on fruit colour(Mullar 1940)

Eulycopersicon : Characterized by red fruited edible species with carotenoid
pigmentation and annual. Cultivated tomato esculentum and pimpinellifolium
species are included in this group. Eriopersicon: Green fruited species with
anthocyanin pigmentation and the following species are in this group. Previous Next
End

pissisi (Luckwill, 1943) peruvianum (Mullar, 1940a) hirsutum (Mullar, 1940a)

glandulosum (Mullar, 1940a) cheesmanii (Mullar, 1940a) Later, Rick and Lamm
(1955) emphasized the importance of recognizing chilenseas a separate species. Two
distinct species, L. esculentumand L. pimpinellifoliumare recognized by most
authorities, with 4 or 5 botanical varieties in the former(Thompson and Kelly,1957)
Based on fruit shape Bailey (1949) classified tomatoes in to two species, L.
esculentumand L. pimpinellifoliumwith 5 botanical. The chromosome number of all
the species are 2n=2x=24. Previous Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato Based on growth habit and fruit
characters, five forms of L. esculentum are identified. Commune - Common tomato
Cerasiformae - Small fruited cherry tomato Pyriforme - Pear shaped tomato
Grandifolium - Potato leaved tomato Validum - Erect and upright tomato Previous
Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato Rick (1976) divided genus

Lycopersiconinto following two groups based on their ability to cross with cultivated
tomato: 1.Esculentum complex (crossable with cultivated tomato) L. esculentum,
L. pimpinellifolium, L. cheesemaniand L. Hirsutum 2.Peruvianum complex (Not
crossable with cultivated tomato) L. peruvianum, L. chinense Previous Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato Rick (2007) of Tomato Genetic

Resource Centre (TGRC) gave Solanumequivalents for the different Lycopersican
species that are being maintained at this centre. • L. esculentum –
solanumlycopersicum • L. esculentum var. cerasiforme –
solanumesculentumvarcerasiforme. • L. pimpinellifolium – S. pimpinellifolium • L.
cheesmanii – S. cheesmaE • L. cheesmaniif.minor – S. galapaganse • L. chmielewskii
– S. chmielewskii • L. parviflorum – S. neorickii • L. preuvianum f. humifusum - L.
preuvianum • L. previanum f. glandulosum – S. corneliomulleri • L. hirsutum includes
L.hirsutum f. glabratum Previous Next End

Evolution description and importance of tomato New species of tomato relatives in

which the name of the species under Lycopersicon genus is not available are
S.lycopersicoides, S.sitiens, S.juglandifolium, S.ochranthum. Plant Characteristics
Tomatoes are short-lived perennials cropped as annuals. Although killed by frost
outdoors, in greenhouses, plants can be cropped for 24 months or longer. Previous
Next End