"Gidai Tomatoes" grown and harvested at Yanagido Farm (Gifu Field Science Center, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University) are now on sale at Supermarket Kanesue (Gidaimae Branch)

"Gidai Tomatoes" are being cultivated at a computer-automated controlled greenhouse ("smart greenhouse," area: 216m2) within the farm. In the greenhouse, university staff and students grow 360 tomato seedlings from August to early July the following year. To avoid summer heat, seedlings are fog-cooled during daytime and cooled by heat pumps at night. Heat pumps are also used to heat and dehumidify the greenhouse during winter and fog-cooling machine serves as humidifier in early spring. In addition to these temperature and humidity adjustment devises, the greenhouse is equipped with CO2 enrichment device, LED, etc. for the promotion of photosynthesis, all of which are controlled by computers around the clock.

Data on tomato cultivation collected from special sensors are accessible on the Internet which include changes in temperatures, humidity, light intensity, culture media moisture content, liquid solution and supply of CO2. Currently, Gifu and Nagoya University students are working on calculating the rate of photosynthesis, transpiration and effective accumulative temperatures for tomato cultivation from the mathematical model formulated from the collected data. From April this year, staff and students introduced environmentally-friendly biocontrol method for healthy growth of tomatoes.

The cultivar of "Gidai Tomatoes" is called "Karen" (Sakata Seed Corporation) which is resistant to tomato yellow leaf curl disease. It is high yielding, contains moderate sugar content and tastes good. Tomatoes are harvested in the mornings of Monday, Wednesday and Friday every week and are partially sold at Yanagido farm. Please find freshly harvested, tasty "Gidai Tomatoes" at the Farm and Kanesue.