A non-uniform cultivar adapted to organic management, which will be available for the first time as certified seed to the organic farming communities. The advantages of adopting such a genetically diverse cultivar are twofold: (i) genetic and phenotypic diversity can act as a buffer against abiotic stresses of climate change; (ii) as a non-IPR protected cultivar, with a sufficiently broad genetic base, it allows farmers to carry out selection within their crops and re-produce their own seed. This is something already possible with open-pollinated cultivars, although the margins for genetic gains are limited by the high uniformity of varieties complying with Distinct Uniform and Stable (DUS) seed marketing requirements.

The breeding material has been already made available to organic farmers requesting it through RSR’s Seed Bank. RSR will proceed with the notification and marketing of the ox-heart tomato OHM developed during LIVESEED. The notification and marketing will take place once the new Organic Regulations comes into force (January 2022) and the application process will be laid down by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture.