After a period where small fruits were the favorite, consumption of bunch (smooth round) tomatoes is on the up once again. They are appreciated by producers and consumers who perceive it as part of the Italian culinary tradition both in Italy and abroad. Thanks to its genetics, Harmoniz intends to intercept this consumer segment by ‘dialoguing’ with producers to whom this product is dedicated to.

“Ever since the first stages of research, we have considered Dalibor as Carreras’ little brother. Although the variety has been developed to offer an alternative of a superior quality compared with existing counterseasonal varieties, i.e., a different segment with respect to Carreras, the association between the two has been almost always immediate by those producers who have grown them both, especially when it comes to yields and quality,” explains Mimmo Roccasalvo, a Sales representative at Hamoniz Italia.

“Just like Carreras, in fact, Dalibor boasts uniform berries (160-180 grams per fruit), in compact linear bunches of 5-6 fruits. The brightness, uniformity, and depth of the color are the same in both cases, plus firmness is good, which should not be underestimated in varieties produced in winter. Of course, being a smooth bunch variety suitable for cold cycles, Dalibor is a rustic plant that is more vigorous than Carreras, which means it is highly adaptable to various production areas and boasts good performances that meet the production needs typical of short-cycle winter crops all the while being early. All this makes Dalibor a variety ideal for transplants between September and December.” 

“Resistances are good, including those to TYLCV, TSWV, and ToMV, although I believe this variety also features other characteristics that make it one of the best in the segment: the tolerance to both cracking and blotchiness, plus the absence of flowers during setting at low temperatures, just to name a few.”

 “While the elegant and regular setting facilitates harvesting and processing of the produce, thus speeding up packaging, the crunchy and fleshy fruits maintain a uniform grade until the end of the cycle, with excellent post-harvest shelf-life, so the variety is a perfect solution also in case of long-distance transfers, which are increasingly requested.”