A team of young scientists led by Senior Scientific Officer Shahabuddin has evolved four hybrid varieties of summer tomato, which have created great enthusiasm among farmers and local seed companies.

The varieties were cultivated at farmers' level at Dadpur village in Bagharpara upazila of Jessore district last summer under the direct supervision of Shahabuddin and his team.

Unbelievable though, the yield was around 125 maunds per bigha, which the farmers sold at between Tk 1500 and 200 per maund. They cultivated C-36 and C-55 hybrid varieties without applying hormone. The yield almost doubles if hormone is sprayed at flowering stage, which ensures 100 per cent fruiting.

Farmers Nurul Islam Mondol and Abdul Khalaq were overwhelmed with the success. Others in Dadpur village and nearby areas were bemused as earnings over Tk one lakh from one bigha of land in three months was unbelievable to them. They all are cramming for seeds this year.

A Daily Star correspondent visited Dadpur village along with the BARI team recently and talked to villagers.

To spread their cultivation, BARI is organising demonstration plots in Rajshahi, Bogra, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Comilla and in more areas in Jessore this year.

Some Bangladeshi seed companies have evinced keen interest to multiply the seeds. East West Seed, Supreme Seed, Omni Group and some others have sought samples. BARI will give them seeds in the coming winter for multiplication so that more seeds are available to farmers in the next summer, sources at BARI told The Daily Star. Seeds are grown in winter.

They said, they are also enthused by the response from farmers and seed companies and hope cultivation of hybrid summer tomato will spread to most areas of the country within years.

Both farmers in Jessore and BARI scientists said size, colour and taste of the summer varieties are like the winter varieties produced in the country. These are much superior to those now imported in summer.

But cultivation of the summer varieties is costly. Special arrangements have to be made to protect the field from rain. The whole field has to the covered with white polythene sheds to allow plants to get sunlight and the land must be flood-free. There should be adequate drainage to allow rainwater to flow out.

Seedbeds have to be prepared in the first week of May and plants should be transplanted within 30 days. Harvest can be started after 85 days of transplantation.

The varieties are not virus resistant. Insecticides have to be applied at seven to 10 days' interval for about a month after transplantation from the seedbed.

The BARI has so far evolved nine varieties of summer tomato. These are BARI Tomamto-10 (Anupoma), BARI Tomato-13 (Sraboni), C-33, C-34, C-36, C-38, C-55, C-67 and C-88. Of these, C-36 and C-55 varieties can be grown with and without hormone. The rest need hormone at flowering stage and harvested can be started after 90 days of transplantation.

BARI scientists are now experimenting on how to make all the varieties cultivable without hormone and to make those resistant to virus, pest and rainwater, sources said.