TOMATO PRODUCTION e_LEARNING MATERIAL.
TOMATO PRODUCTION LEARNING MATERIAL. Scientific classification of tomato. Kingdom: Plantae (plant) Phylum: Mangnoliophyta (flowering plant) Class: Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons) Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae (potato family) Genus: Solanum (night shade) Species: Solanum lycopersicum Origin of Tomato. Tomato originated in the Andes region of South America including the present today Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and North Chile. With the wild ancestor being the "Solanum pimpinellifolium" small and yellow in colour, later a large "lumpy variety" evolved in meso-america potentially becoming the ancestor of some modern cultivated tomatoes. The Aztecs and Incas grew tomatoes as early as 700AC. Tomatoes where viewed with comparison to poisonous nightshade family plants such as Belladonna and Mandrake due to their resemblance, cultivated for decoration. Tomatoes were introduced to Europe in the 16th Century. In the 17th Century, they became popular throughout Europe. The fren...