Project Overview
Commodities
- Fruits: litchi tomato
Practices
- Crop Production: cropping systems, varieties and cultivars
- Pest Management: weed ecology
Proposal summary:
Litchi tomato is a member of the tomato family, bearing attractive sweet berries with a flavor
reminiscent of cherries, raspberries, and rose hips. Litchi tomato is widely unknown, but may have
potential as a novel fruit crop for vegetable growers. Plants bear fruit in one year with a long harvest
window, have low start up costs, and few pests. Given the market demand for organically grown
small fruits and the challenges of producing these crops, litchi tomato may have a place on small
diversified farms. This study will conduct research to establish seed germination protocols,
determine how seed sowing dates affect yield, collect baseline data on labor and yields, and assess
the weed risk of litchi tomato. A weed risk assessment is important because in some parts of the
world introduced litchi tomato has become a noxious weed. Information from this project will be
shared through farmer and consumer fruit sampling, a conference poster, newsletter article, and
social media.
Project objectives from proposal:
The goal of this project is to make a preliminary examination of the feasibility of litchi tomato as a
novel niche crop. There are two primary goals. (I want to figure out how to best grow this thing and
make sure it won't take over the world!) I will conduct greenhouse germination trials to better
understand when to start seeds for maximum yields and also test if treated seeds germinate better.
Seedlings will be planted out in the field in a randomized block design, and I will collect growth and
phenological data. Yield and harvest data will be collected. To assess weed risk, small plots will be
sown with litchi tomato fruits in the fall of the first year to mimic natural dispersal of the fruits. The
plots will be monitored over the next year for germination, flowering, and fruit set and maturation.