It was introduced by a Sardinian seed company 20 years ago for its disease resistance, taste, texture and appearance (dark red with brilliant green shoulders). It has a recently released follow-on called the Kamonium (apparently even more resistant).

These tomatoes are raised in Sardinia "with extremely high EC 8-10 mS/cm water (electric conductivity due to salinity) and the plant almost dying of thirst". Furthermore, "only then does the right taste come to this material".

The cultivation of the camone tomato stands out amongst Sardinia greenhouse tomato crops. This variety was introduced around 15 years ago with the aim of testing a crop which was particularly resistant to the attacks of some fungi which, at that time, were destroying greenhouse tomatoes. Thus, through various natural genetic hybridisations, a new variety of tomato was selected in Sardinia: the Camone. Its genetic characteristics allowed the Camone plant to counteract or survive some illnesses or adverse environmental conditions, also reducing the need for chemicals in its cultivation. It was then realised that this hybrid has a particular feature which makes it very palatable and is further enhanced by the Sardinian climate. In fact, its intrinsic genetic characteristics, developed and emphasised by the producers' cultivation techniques, allowed a unique product to be obtained with high-level organoleptic and gustatory qualities. This variety is now the best of the Sardinian greenhouse tomatoes, being the only variety sold for a different price at northern Italian fruit and vegetable markets, and appearing in the price lists of the "Sole 24 ore" newspaper. Moreover, its characteristics allow it to be sold for much more than other greenhouse varieties, sometimes as much as 100% more.

PHYSICAL, AESTHETIC, AND ORGANOLEPTIC FEATURES
It is a good idea to emphasise that it is the physical appearance of the Camone tomato which differentiates it from other varieties in terms of marketing, given that appearance is the main factor considered by the consumer, especially when shopping for fresh produce.
SHAPE spherical, small and regular.
COLOUR vivid red with intense green shoulder
CONSISTENCY very firm
KEEPS very well
DEGREE OF SUGAR 8-9 Brix degrees pH - 4

http://www.regione.sardegna.it/inglese/agricoltura/ortaggi.htm

------------------------------------

PEPINO MOSAIC POTEXVIRUS, TOMATO - ITALY
May 19, 2001
ProMED-mail
http://www.promedmail.org
Date: 18 May 2001
From: Dick Hamilton rihamilto@home.com
Source: British Soc. Plant Pathol., New Disease Reports, Vol. 3, Roggero et
al. [edited]
First report of Pepino mosaic virus in tomato in Italy
------------------------------------------------------
Pepino mosaic, caused by pepino potexvirus (PepMV), was originally reported
in pepino (_Solanum muricatum_) from Peru in 1980. It has subsequently been
reported to occur in tomato crops in the UK (1999), and in France, Germany,
Spain, and the Netherlands in 2000. Diseased plants were observed in
February and March 2001 in glasshouse tomato cultivars Camone and Cronos
which had been grafted onto rootstocks of tomato cv. Beaufort obtained
from an Italian propagator before transplanting in late summer 2000. Typical
symptoms were observed in October on a few plants, but by March 2001
about 40% of the crop was affected. Typical potex virions were observed in
leaf extracts. Identification of the virus as PepMV was independently
confirmed by ISEM in 2 laboratories using reference antisera to isolates
from Peru and the Netherlands. A DAS-ELISA using a PepMV antiserum reliably
detected virus infected tomato plants in 3 glasshouses.
This is the first report of the disease in Italy. Although easily spread
under glasshouse conditions, it is not known how it spreads within European
countries.
--
ProMED-mail

[Many thanks to Piero Roggero at IFA-CNR, Torino, Italy for notifying me
ofthis report. For the complete version, please go to the following
website:

.......................................dh/es
-----------------------------------------

[The info below is a translation, kinda hard to understand]

The I.G.P. for the Tomato "Camone of Sardinia"
The variety of the Camone tomato came introduced approximately 15 years ago with the objective to experience a cultivation that was particularly resistant to the attacks of some fungi that in that period the productions of tomato in greenhouse exterminated.

Later on, us rendered account that this hybrid had peculiarities that rendered it particularly appreciable to the palate and that the pedoclimatiche characteristics of our Island of it exalted the qualities. Its intrinsic genetic characteristics, in fact, developed and put ulteriorly in evidence from the techniques of cultivation of the producers, have allowed to obtain an only product from the elevated organolettiche and gustative qualities.

From an aesthetic point of view, the Camone Tomato differs from the other tomatoes cultivates to you in greenhouse for the spherical shape, intense the green collar and for the marked consistency. These peculiarities, with to the typical one

and unmistakable bittersweet sapore, makes of the Camone Tomato a particularly appreciated product from the consumer, in a position to dulling on the market prices more elevates respect to you to other productive varieties.

Camone
Round small and, of dark, unmistakable green color for the marked taste. E' a lot appreciated from the consumers of oltralpe. Its yield are of ineguagliabile consistency.

Thanks for the brackground on Camone/Kamonium (Syngenta.)

Not that it matters (ie C/K germ plasm origin), but I seem to remember some work @ UCDavis in the 60s with something that looked similar to Camone re chasing/breeding salt tolerance--even doing some (early) interspecies gene/DNA 'cut & paste' work. Some of the breeders migrated across US 80/ then around the corner to Genentech. Fuscarium & phyto..problems were not central to the breeding work as they seem to have been with C/K in both S/S.

Syngenta (breeders/marketing people) seem to want to keep variety seed country local which is probably the reason we've not seen either variety in the States. But perhaps not?

As for Raf..any clues? My guess is that Raf came into the Spanish market to answer phyto issue/s..not salinity.

Any suggestions re seed sources?

Thanks again for the backgrounder.