Identifying Cultivar Preferences of Compact Tomato Plants Using a Citizen Science Approach

In 2023, 300 participants from three states in the United States (Indiana, Iowa, and Tennessee) were recruited for an 18-week citizen-science experiment to grow plants from three compact tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) cultivars started from seed or as transplants. The cultivars evaluated were Cocoa, Red Robin, and Micro Tom. Each participant received a plant kit containing all materials needed to complete the experiment. Project engagement was maintained using a social-media community page, monthly virtual educational sessions, and regular e-mail communications. At the end of the experiment, 182 participants completed a survey designed to assess cultivar and plant-type preferences, as well as challenges and experiences during production. Three focus group sessions were conducted to further explore survey responses, and a 1-year follow-up survey was distributed in 2024. ‘Cocoa’ was the preferred cultivar by 41% of participants, followed by ‘Red Robin’ at 32%. Participants began harvesting fruit from ‘Cocoa’ earlier than from ‘Red Robin’, and both the time to harvest and yield ratings were higher for ‘Cocoa’, suggesting that yield-related attributes strongly influenced overall preference. Participant satisfaction was similar for ‘Cocoa’ and ‘Red Robin’ but lower for ‘Micro Tom’. Overall, 69% of participants reported they would be willing to pay between $1.00 to $7.49 more for a transplant of their favorite cultivar compared with tomato transplants currently available at local nurseries. Participants reported an 80% survival rate for plants started from seed and identified abiotic stress as the main production challenge. Focus group comments highlighted interest in the potential gift use of these compact cultivars and their versatility for use in various gardening spaces. Follow-up survey results indicated that participation in the project increased gardening involvement and purchase of gardening supplies the following year. Overall, results demonstrate that early harvest and high yield were key factors influencing cultivar preference of compact tomatoes and that citizen science is an effective approach for collecting consumer-horticulture data.