Would you?
Could you?

I couldn't stop myself from ordering the world's first GMO tomato seeds, and it's likely the first GMO edible plant aimed exclusively (so far) at the home gardener.

What say you?


More info at this article:

https://www.npr.org/sections/h...

NPR said:
a tomato the color of a concord grape with plum-colored flesh. It looks otherworldly, maybe Photoshopped. But it's not.

This nightshade is purple because its creators at Norfolk Plant Sciences worked for about 20 years to hack color genes from a snapdragon flower into the plant.

I guess I'm eating GMO corn and wheat every day...
So, sure- I'll try it!

I admit my first reaction to this was "oh no!"

But, they certainly are beautiful! I may have missed it in the article, but will the seeds from those tomatoes be viable? And if so, will they behave like OP varieties?

I can't wait to hear how they do for you, Ken!

Nope.
and nope.

I'd try it, if it appealed to me.
I tried a 'blue' cherry called Dancing with Smurfs, to me that one was totally bland.

@kenisaac

That is sad and disgusting. Never in a million years would I buy GMO seed, I don't care if they are pretty. When you read on how seriously bad genetically engineered food is for your body, you'll think twice on growing those. Please do not spread GMO tomato pollen out there. GMO pollen will infect non-gmo plants of those trying to grow natural/organically.
Oh and there is non-gmo or organic corn and wheat if you look for it.
Please think twice on growing those.

janinilulu said: Nope.
and nope.

Hi Ken,
How are you this evening? I hope you are staying both warm and dry. What an interesting topic you have brought up. GMO purple tomatoes. Hmmm.

Apparently, obviously many gardeners have some very strong feelings about GMOs. I look forward to hearing a vigorous, productive and polite debate on the subject. To be honest this last year or two I have been doing a lot of in depth research on the biology of good soils, the evolution and breeding habits of pill bugs and the super powers of aphids; did you know aphids can withstand temperatures over 110* and can survive temps well below freezing. The jerks!

So GMO's just haven't been on my radar lately. I don't have an opinion either way right now. But, they've been around for quite some time and the world hasn't come to an end..... yet. Glad to know they are finally trying to use them to make foods healthier for us.

I hope lots of nice and polite people join the conversation and enlighten us about the newest science behind the practice. And I hope you keep us updated on how your tomato experiment is going. I know when I first grew 'Black Krim' tomatoes it was a bit hard to convince myself to eat something that was so very 'black'! But they were awful good! Happy gardening.

I've eaten Black Beauty which is more black than Krim. And BB is not GMO.
Once GMO tomato pollen spreads, our natural tomato crops will put in danger. I'm very disappointed in anyone who will help spread those seeds.

TomatoNut95 said: I've eaten Black Beauty which is more black than Krim. And BB is not GMO.

Yeah...
Seems like they already had the colour without needing to use CRISPR tech...

Seems less offensive than some of the stuff they are crossing into our food... But still...

Incidentally... these tomatoes aren't the first GMO tomatoes, just the first offered to the home gardener...

" I couldn't stop myself from ordering the world's first GMO tomato seeds,…
What say you?"

It isn't the first GMO tomato (see Flavr Savr), but is one of the first released to the general public in the US. There are many other GM tomatoes available in other countries.

For those unwilling to grow GMO stuff: Jim Meyers at Oregon State used conventional breeding to produce a purple tomato and released 'Indigo Rose' in 2012; since then many better high-anthocyanin types have been bred from that starting variety.
These are not solidly purple throughout the fruit, and the flavor in most is inferior. Breeders continue to improve these lines and maybe someday they'll be a great one.
Incidentally, the "black" tomatoes (like 'Black Krim') are unrelated to the above, and don't have very high levels of the healthful anthocyanins.

The GMO seed comes with a set of terms that says no seeds, plants, or fruit may be sold; nor can any thing derived from it.
I don't know how enforceable that set of terms is.
I can't seem to find out if the pollen is viable. Maybe I should send the question to them in an email.

BTW, Ken, you are not eating GMO wheat; it is not grown here in the US.

Nadda

Weedwhacker said:but will the seeds from those tomatoes be viable? And if so, will they behave like OP varieties?

@Weedwhacker Sandy- Unsure about the future progeny! Interestingly, they make you sign a "terms of sale" that says you won't SELL the plants, future seeds, or produce from them. Of course, you can replant the produced seeds all you want!

janinilulu said: Nope.
and nope.

Thanks for the input!

sallyg said: I'd try it, if it appealed to me.

@sallyg, Sally, I'm an impulse buyer, and "early horticultural adopter" perhaps how you'd describe yourself? I tried the first NON-GMO dark purple tomato Indigo Rose a decade ago when it hit the market, and agree with the article from NPR that quoted the breeder the "taste wasn't great." I haven't grown them since, but the progeny (50+ and growing?) is said to be much improved.

TomatoNut95 said:
Please think twice on growing those.

@TomatoNut95 Ann, sure, I'll think twice - and I dig into the data. I appreciate your concern, and thank you for your comments.

Note that the new vaccines (such as for Covid) and cancer treatments are using these GMO modifying techniques, and thewa have also been shaping public and regulatory opinion more recently.

In Europe, the discussion is now re-thinking older GMO legislation, and reassessing if old regulations still make sense.
The European Parliament recently voted to ease regulation of gene-edited crops. Maybe it's just my perspective, but the debate in Europe seems to be more political and less environmental.

"The measure must still be agreed to in negotiations with the European Union's member states, which remain divided about whether to allow the patenting of gene-edited plants and require labels on food made from such crops."

SedonaDebbie said: What an interesting topic you have brought up. GMO purple tomatoes. Hmmm.
…
Apparently, obviously many gardeners have some very strong feelings about GMOs. I look forward to hearing a vigorous, productive and polite debate on the subject.

@sedonaDebbie, Debbie, I also look forward to that debate! We all knew that this day would come- When we look a GMO seed in the eye and decide to plant it or not. We already decided to eat the results decades ago, or opt-out by growing and processing all our own food. Similar decisions were made with the new mRNA vaccines for covid (and now many other vaccines) and that decision might be in our future if we face cancer or another disease with GMO options as a treatment.

I honestly want to keep an open mind in this purple tomato discussion.

stone said: Seems like they already had the colour without needing to use CRISPR tech...

@stone , thanks for the input. And this is NOT made with CRISPER gene editing... its with gene insertion.

There are basically the three classes of GMO- as I see it in my 'non-biologically educated' mind:
1) beginning early-mid 1900's to now: Irradiation and chemical DNA manipulation. This technology is older than most of us here, and was just considered 'hybridizing.' But it was, IN FACT, making new GMO's- the public just didn't see that as an issue-then. We see that as an issue, now. We can make our own GMO in our own microwave-got a handful of seeds? "Little Shop of Horrors" gif would be appropriate.
2) 1970s— now: 'transgenic plants' created by introducing foreign genes from another biological entity into an organisms genome.
3) 2010-2020 - now: 'new genomic technologies' (NGTs) which include organisms created with the genome editor CRISPR and similar methods that just alter existing DNA— as opposed to introducing foreign DNA as is the case with transgenic GMO.

There are plenty of us who love to dig into this issue, as I do. Some others, maybe not so much...

"The leading scientist behind the Purple Tomato is Cathie Martin, a biochemist who trained at the University of Cambridge. About 20 years ago, she set out to create a transgenic tomato, using DNA from another unrelated organism, in this case, a purple snapdragon, which is an edible flower."

Hortica said:
It isn't the first GMO tomato (see Flavr Savr), but is one of the first released to the general public in the US.

Yeah, I did see that!

Hortica said: you are not eating GMO wheat; it is not grown here in the US.

We actually import some... But the bigger issue is our total food imports.
We know that we have found 'prohibited' chemical residues on imported foodstuffs in the past, and countries know well our regulations against certain chemicals used to produce food or animal feed destined for the US.

So, honesty and integrity is THE ONLY THING that prohibits others from importing GMO foodstuffs into our country, unlabeled as GMO. But then, that honesty and integrity apply to domestic producers as well. I'm not sure there is yet a reliable test to see if a foodstuff or feed is GMO, but not labeled as it must be...
For chemicals they leave a residue... Seems like a DNA test would be far more expensive.
I think the EU is working on this challenge as well.

Iochroma said: The GMO seed comes with a set of terms that says no seeds, plants, or fruit may be sold; nor can any thing derived from it.
I don't know how enforceable that set of terms is.

@Iochroma Yes- it is curious!

Terms and Conditions -
By purchasing NHP Purple Tomato seeds, I accept the following conditions:
*Seeds, fruit and plant material are only allowed in the USA.
*The seeds are a patented variety and are sold to enjoy in your home garden and with your local community.
*No sales of fruit, seeds or plants are permitted in this agreement, including any derived varieties.
*These seeds come with no warranties.
*If you have issues with your seeds, please contact us right away at [email protected]. We want to help you be a Happy Gardener! All seed sales are final. Once your credit card is charged, the sale is complete.
*For more information, see our website FAQs.

A patent does not usually cover seeds that are harvested from a patented plant, then you sprout and grow yourself, as the resultant plant will be a "unique variety" (as in "not a clone") of it's parent, due to the reproductive shuffling of genes. However, the class of Utility Patents cover the GMO seeds, so I would imagine this would be in the same class as Monsanto's corn seed, and a utility patent does prohibit creating a seed line from their GMO seed. Making a cutting of a patented plant is prohibited, of course, as it is a clone.

Prohibiting selling the produce? Doesn't seem to be covered in the patent process, but you agree to their terms when purchasing, so maybe that is considered a contract you made with them- and thus enforceable? That one is curious. In the movie and music industry, you are buying only certain rights when you buy/rent/stream a movie or song. The industry has armfuls of lawyers, which of course, are protecting the artists that deserve compensation for their creations. They can indeed charge you more, or sue you if you play the song from a CD or stream or even play the radio in a public restaurant, or play a DVD you bought to a movie theater audience.

Iochroma said:
I can't seem to find out if the pollen is viable.

It certainly could be sterile… I'd like to know if you find out!

Ken,
Awesome input. I just love research and science!

Ken, we don't import GMO wheat. It isn't approved in the US, and this wikipedia article explains the state of things:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...