The tomato seeds
The tomato seeds that classes will be germinating this year (2008) come from traditional seed production methods and have not been developed through the use of biotechnology. They are a hybrid variety of seed from H.J. Heinz Canada - H9478. They produce a plum tomato that was developed using standard crossing techniques by horticulturalist Dale Smith, a member of the original Science Committee on the Tomatosphere Project Team. Dale now works for HeinzSeed in Stockton, California but he maintains a close relationship with the project, along with his Canadian colleague, Scott Makey, from Heinz Canada.
At one point H9748 occupied nearly 50% of the Heinz acreage; today, H9478 is still grown by Heinz Canada tomato growers but newer varieties with improved field and factory characteristics have supplanted some of the acreage previously grown. H9478 is a versatile variety used for tomato paste products, fresh juice, and whole peel. The plants will produce mature fruit in a period of 95 and 105 days depending upon growing conditions. Not only is H9478 an important variety for Heinz Canada, but it is popular with other Eastern North American companies and is also grown widely in Italy, Hungary, Poland, Portugal and Spain.
The tomato seeds for 2008 will be in two envelopes - labelled 'A' and 'B'. One envelope contains the control group; the other group has been exposed to conditions which simulate the space maneuver of aerocapture; the seeds were placed in a centrifuge to simulate the g-load that would be experienced as the seeds entered the Mars atmosphere; the seeds were placed under this pressure for seven minutes, similar to what would be experienced en route to Mars as the space vehicle was slowing down. In addition, the simulator also involved higher than normal temperatures. Since this is a blind test, teachers will not know the origin of each type until the results are entered at the end of the experiment.
2008 and 2009 are two years in which we will be interim years for the Tomatosphere Project; the seeds will have simulated treatments based on anticipated conditions related to the journey to Mars. It is hoped that we will have seeds which have traveled to the International Space Station for the spring of 2010.
Tomatosphere is sponsored by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, Heinz Canada, H.J. Heinz Company Foundation, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Stokes Seeds and the University of Guelph.
