A Lancaster University researcher is on a mission to return a forgotten tomato variety to its native homeland.
The ‘Manx Marvel’ is thought to have originally been bred on the Isle of Man, but has now all but vanished. Dr Russell Sharp, a plant scientist at the Lancaster Environment Centre, wants to revive the variety following a similar success with a lost Leicestershire tomato variety ‘The Blaby Special’ in 2006. The ‘Blaby Special’ ceased to be cultivated in Leicestershire after World War II but is now being grown across the county after Dr Sharp appealed for help from the public. More than 900 people requested seeds in the summer of 2006.
Last summer Dr Sharp obtained seeds of the ‘Manx Marvel’ variety from a seed bank in the United States and grew a successful crop of four plants in Lancaster.
He said: “There is now an increased awareness of the need for genetic diversity in crops and the benefits of sourcing fruit and vegetables from local sources. To my knowledge the ‘Manx Marvel’ is not currently cultivated on the Island; however with the help of local people I hope to get this variety growing again in Manx soil.”
For information on Dr Sharp’s research go to: http://russell.g.sharp.googlepages.com/home