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What is the origin of tomato plants?

Tomato plants were first domesticated in South America thousands of years ago

Tomato plants were first domesticated in South America thousands of years ago

Short-lived small plants producing larger red berries would never have evolved without the help of humans.

The world's highest value crop is thought to have first been domesticated in South America from the wild plant, Solanum lycopersicum cerasiforme, which produced tomatoes about the size of a blue berry.

Farmers then only allowed their crops producing larger berries to breed, gradually increasing the size of the tomato.

However, as these crops were taken northwards they began losing fruit size and taste.

This resulted in a second hybridisation event about 7,000 years ago in Ecuador, Mexico and other areas in central America, where wild weed-like S. lycopersocum cerasiforme tomatoes were interbred with their domesticated cousins to re-invigorate the crops.

This produced the common tomato, which was taken around the world after Europeans arrived in the Americas in the 16th century.

They are believed to have been taken to Europe either by Spanish conquistadors or two Jesuit priests who were returning to Italy. 

Source: Journal of Molecular Biology and Evolution, April 2020

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