Southern Tomato Exchange Program

The cooperative tomato variety tests, which are generally referred to as the STEP trials, were initiated at a conference held in Charleston, South Carolina in October, 1945. Eleven men interested in tomato breeding attended the conference and C. F. Andrus was named chairman of the group. The group included plant breeders, pathologists and horticulturists with a major interest in commercial tomato production. In general this general diversity of interest has been maintained over the years.

In 1946 forty breeding lines were tested and in 1947 the more promising of these lines, plus thirty-eight additional lines, were included. An effort has been made to keep the total number of entries, including both replicated and observational lines, to something under fifty lines per year. The variety Rutgers was chosen as the standard for comparison for both the replicated and observational lines, and is still being used as the check variety.

Breeding lires and/or varieties are supplied by commercial as well as institutional tomato breeders. Seed are packaged by the chairman and sent to the cooperators in January since some of the more southern locations must seed for their spring crop by or before the 15th of January.

At present the STEP trials are conducted in the following locations:


               No. of                            No. of   
  Area        Locations         Area            Locations

Alabama             1         Mexico                  3
Arkansai-           2         Mississippi             3
Florida             4         Missouri                1
Georgia             7         North Carolina          3
Hawaii              1         Oklahoma                2
Indiana             1         South Carolina          3
Kentucky            1         Tennessee               2
Louisiana           2         Texas                   7
Maryland            2         Virgiria                2
Four replicates are included at each location conducting the replicated trials and a minimum of 10 plants per replicate is grown. Data sheets are supplied by the chairman. The deadline for returning the data sheets to the chairman is December 1. The chairman summarizes the reports and mimeograph copies of the summary are sent to all cooperators, seed suppliers, and to a number of other individuals interested in tomato breeding and/or testing.

C. F. Andrus of the U.S.D.A, S.E. Vegetable Breeding Lab., Charleston, S. C. was chairman of the group from its inception until his resignation in 1952. W. S. Barham of the Horticulture Department, North Carolina State College was elected chairman in 1952, and still serves in this capacity.

A total of 296 tomato breeding lines and a large number of introduced varieties have been tested during the 12 years this program has been under ay. Twenty new breeding lines, ten introduced varieties, and 14 breeding lines previously tested are included in the 1958 trials. The group does not recommend the introduction of varieties, but the information obtained from the cooperative testing program has enabled tomato breeders to determine much more quickly whether one of their lines was worthy of release and has at the same time given tomato breeders a chance to see and evaluate some of the best tomato breeding lines in the United States. As might be expected, the cooperative testing program has encouraged extensive exchange of breeding material among tomato breeders in the southeast and a feeling of mutual trust and confidence has developed over the years. The cooperators are convinced that the STEP program has been a very effective method of helping improve the tomato industry of the Southeast.

Warren S. Barham