Plant & Food Research Auckland
120 Mt Albert Road, Sandringham, Auckland 1025
Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142
New Zealand
Tel: +64-9-925-7000, Fax: +64-9-925-7001
1 December 2013
Edward Hammond
[FYI request #1266 email]
Dear Mr Hammond
Request for information outside the Official Information Act 1982
You recently requested from Plant & Food Research information on the pedigrees and
history of the pepino varieties ‘Hortquador’, ‘Hortcolomb’, and the tamarillo ‘Sweeten’. I
am able to advise you of the following:
Pepino
A pepino breeding programme was established by the Department of Scientific and
Industrial Research (a predecessor organisation to The New Zealand Institute for Plant
and Food Research Limited) in 1985.
The variety ‘Hortquador’ was selected from amongst a population of seedlings derived
from crossing 81/11 (seed parent) with 79/43/1 (pollen parent) and given the breeder
code S15-08.
The variety ‘Hortcolomb’ was selected from amongst a population of seedlings derived
from crossing 8501-3 (seed parent) with 22 (pollen parent) and given the breeder code
S25-16.
Tamarillo
The tamarillo variety ‘Sweeten’ was selected from a population of seedlings derived
from hybridisation among red, amber, and yellow-fruited tamarillo selections. An
elaborate breeding strategy was developed whereby seedlings from commercial
tamarillo orchards across New Zealand were collected and studied. Many generations
of crosses and hybridization of progeny followed. The crosses were undertaken with
the aim of breeding a sweet red tamarillo, this was achieved in the 1993-1994 growing
season with the selection of a seedling of unknown parentage, from amongst a
population of seedlings, initally coded 4G3, followed by #10, and later designated
‘Sweeten’.
Yours sincerely
Roger Bourne
Strategic Marketing Manager
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