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- ‘Louisiana Red’ & ‘Louisiana Pink’
In 1910, work began at the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station to develop a wilt resistant tomato variety, under the direction of plant pathologists C. W. Edgerton and C.C. Moreland. Fusariuim wilt was a major problem for tomato growers of the time, and hence a need to develop a resistant strain with high yields. By 1912, a strained named ‘Louisiana Wilt Resistant’ was selected for superior resistance to Fusarium lycopersici. What this strain made up for in wilt resistance, it lacked in productivity. To improve yield and maturity, crosses were made between Louisiana Wilt Resistant and Langdon’s Earliana, which was known for having higher yields and earlier maturity. Hybrids for these crosses were maintained and selected over the next several years until 2 outstanding strains were selected for the sought after characteristics. These 2 strains were named ‘Louisiana Red’ and ‘Louisiana Pink’. These 2 varieties were developed somewhere between 1918-1922, and first appeared for purchase in the 1926 Reuter’s Spring Catalog, and described as being wilt resistant, smooth, medium sized tomatoes, with small seed cavities with few seeds, medium maturity, and bred to yield higher under Louisiana hot and humid conditions. Louisiana Red and Louisiana Pink are virtually similar except for their fruit color, and maybe some variation in fruit size/weight and maturity. Seeds for Louisiana Red (PI 270197) and Louisiana Pink (PI 270196) were acquired from USDA GRIN in 2021 and grown out for seed increase in 2022 & 2023 at the Northeast Research Station and sites in Ouachita, Franklin, and Tensas parishes. Both varieties produced very well with no wilt issues. Fruit was medium size, and great for slicing, salads or canning. Literature sites that both varieties are only resistant to fusarium and heat, but not blight or nematodes, however, neither one were observed to suffer from any of these issues. Both produced well in hot, humid conditions as they were bred to do. Louisiana Red and Louisiana Pink are a major part of Louisiana’s tomato breeding and growing history and deserve a spot in the backyard garden.
Nice cluster of Louisiana Pink tomatoes setting up.
Nice harvest of Louisiana Pink tomatoes from the 2024 Ouachita Parish Preservation Garden.