In Brazil, tomatoes are produced in the cool and dry regions such as Southeast, South, and Center-west, where the climate favors the growth and production of the tomato crop. In the Eastern Amazon, as well as other humid tropical regions, with hot and humid conditions and soils infested with southern wilt bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum, tomato yield is generally low which discourage the local production. More than 99% of the tomatoes in the market are shipped in from other regions, reaching the annual cost around R$12 millions in 1997. The present work reports the tomato breeding program conducted by the Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, in Belém, State of Pará, in the past 17 years to fulfill the original objectives. The released clone, named Pará Belo, possesses important traits such as high tolerance to bacterial wilt, R. solanacearum; yield higher than 7kg/plant or 19kg/m²; fruit of high globe type, weighs from 200 g to 400 g, depending on the pruning frequency; high storage quality as long as 30 days, under room temperature in the Amazon; good flesh flavor with 5.2(0) Brix in red fruits; good resistance to fruit cracking under heavy rains; vigorous plants with high branching capacity and good leaf resistance to common diseases, and high shoot tip rooting capacity for clone cutting production.
Lycopersicon esculentum; Ralstonia solanacearum; vegetative propagation; Humid Tropics; breeding
