A field of 27 flavours: Anekal farmer grows rare black tomato... and more

Bengaluru: In the lush green fields of Kamblipura village in Anekal, a farmer has turned his land into a living museum of agricultural diversity.

Over the past two years, Kantharaju V and his father Venkataswamy Reddy have cultivated 27 varieties of tomatoes on their farm.

His commitment to preserving traditional and indigenous seeds recently earned him recognition alongside five other seed conservators at the Desi Seed Festival, held at the Institution of Agricultural Technologists in Bengaluru.

Kantharaju’s primary motivation for growing such a wide range of tomatoes — including rare varieties like the 'black tomato' — is seed production, a vital contribution to Sahaja Samruddha, an organic farmers'  association based in Mysuru.

Manju from Sahaja Samruddha said the organisation has played a crucial role in collecting diverse crop varieties from across the country and conserving them on farmers’ fields and in seed banks.

Kantharaju’s passion for seed conservation does not stop with tomatoes. This year, he also cultivated varieties of ragi, double beans, bottle gourd, and brinjal for seed purposes. His fields brim with pulses too, including hyacinth beans (avare kalu), pigeon peas (togari kalu), urad bean (uddina kalu), green gram (hesaru kalu), and winged beans. He proudly points out that he is the first farmer in Bengaluru to cultivate air potatoes (balli aloogadde), a native African crop now widely grown in the Chikkaballapur region.

Practising Samagra Krishi Paddathi, or the Integrated Farming System, Kantharaju combines crop production, animal husbandry, and allied activities to create a resilient and sustainable farm model. This holistic approach optimises resources, reduces risk, and enhances productivity — making his land a model of profitable, climate-friendly farming.

He has also tapped into government schemes and subsidies to install modern farming infrastructure, including a polyhouse, drip irrigation systems, and a farm gate or packhouse. Kantharaju explained that tomatoes flourish in the Bengaluru region’s cool climate with its sparse rainfall, especially when provided with plenty of sunlight and good organic fertilisers.

27 varieties

Kantharaju V cultivates 27 tomato varieties: Bolster Granda, Kaziranga Red Cherry, Black Plum, Atomic Grape, Little Pear, Blue Green, Yellow Stuffer, Kumkuma Kesari, Golden Jubilee, Apple Pink, Padmoni, Banana Legs, Cluster Nameri, Dikhaw, Madanapalli, Black Cherry Dihing, Dwarf, Belseri, Pobitora, African Togo, Black Vernissage, Yellow Cherry, Red Round, Dark Red Megana, Kashi Tamota, Red Cherry, and Frost Resistant Pink.