TRADITOM Objectives
The project focuses on the identification and valorisation of European traditional tomato varieties and their cultural practices. The main objectives of TRADITOM are:
- Objective 1: Information and Conservation.
- Traditional EU tomato varieties, their methods of cultivation, the environmental characteristics of regions where they have been traditionally cultivated will be described and seeds will be stored in a repository. The information gathered and generated during the course of the project, as well as the seeds, will be available to all stakeholders through a website repository.
- Objective 2: Assessment.
- The TRADITOM researchers will assess the available genotypic and phenotypic variability present in the TRADITOM varieties. In addition, they will obtain the scientific evidence required to identify and distinguish traditional varieties from commercially bred cultivars and effectively enable transfer of materials and information from the project to the community of breeders, growers and consumers.
- Objective 3: Improvement.
- TRADITOM seeks to provide farmers and breeders with new versions of traditional varieties incorporating yield and disease resistance traits without affecting their good sensory characteristics.
- Objective 4: Valorisation.
- TRADITOM will enhance valorisation of the traditional tomato varieties and impact traditional cultivation methods. This is achieved by a thorough characterization of nutritional and health compound contents, the identification of consumers’ preferences, the evaluation of socio-economic factors limiting market diffusion, and the protection through PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) or PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) denominations.