Chinese scientists make progress in obtaining cold-resistant tomatoes

Chilean salad, pebre, complete, tomaticán, all these dishes have a star, the tomato. Tomatoes not only play a main role in Chilean meals, but also in global agriculture, but they have a particular characteristic: they are very susceptible to cold and when they are exposed to extreme weather conditions, their yield and quality are reduced. In Chile, tomatoes are one of the main vegetables grown in terms of area and production, occupying 40th place in global area, with 13,864 hectares, and 24th in production, with 872,485 tons per year. The tomato is so coveted not only for its flavor, but because it is a source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and vitamins A, B1, B2, and C. For this reason, the discovery made by a group of scientists in China who modified a tomato genome to develop a line of this product that is resistant to cold is a great advance for agricultural biotechnology. A recent study from Northwest A&F University ...