This is a great year for the Durillo cherry tomato bred by Top Seeds International, the global vegetable seed company which specialises in the development, production and distribution of innovative, high-quality hybrid varieties
Durillo, cherry tomato, offers perfect firmness and an excellent shiny red colour, features not often found together but very popular with the large-scale distribution and final consumers. What’s more, no substantial reductions in yield are recorded.
February, in Italy, is a crucial time for the harvest of Durillo, the Top Seeds International tomato variety that stands above other cherry tomato varieties thanks to its high yield, bright colour, uniform fruit, compact clusters and unrivalled firmness. Harvesting actually began in December and will end in late May and early June, but it is at this stage that the product’s quality becomes apparent and forecasts for the rest of the season can be made. It is during these weeks that both the upper clusters and the riper ones on the lower branches are visible, providing a general picture of the total crop which can be expected.
“Clusters have remained constant in terms of both size and number even during the winter, when, of course, days are shorter and so there is less daylight,” reported Fabrizio Iurato, product developer and sales representative of TSI Italia. “Farmers currently growing Durillo are very happy with production and others are inviting us to view their crops on the plant to admire the variety’s main characteristics - its bright red colour, its firmness and the plant’s cropping continuity even during long cycles - for ourselves.”
Durillo F1 is an indeterminate variety with medium-high vigour and short internodes. Flowering is abundant, with excellent fruit setting even on the higher branches. Clusters are regular, compact and elegant, with visible fleshy green parts which extend the product’s shelf life which allows avoiding unnecessary food waste. The variety produces large quantities of fruit with an attractive bright red colour and good tolerance to cracking.
The average fruit weight is about 25-28 grams and cropping continuity is excellent. In view of its overall vantage, Durillo F1 is a variety that promises and delivers good returns to the entire food value chain growers, wholesalers, retailers and also satisfies the demands of the final consumers.
“Quality products mean greater rewards for farmers on the market,” Iurato concluded. “And, thanks to the wide range of genetic resistances provided in Durillo, Top Seeds International has helped to ensure that, even at the end of the production cycle, yields will remain high and this variety will maintain its distinctive firmness and bright red colour, both very popular with the large-scale distribution and the end customer. What’s more, our experience also shows that it is always advisable to use rootstocks, particularly Top Gun, for long production cycles.”
