Carolyn mentioned the site about the Big Beef... as follows:
http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cucurbit/w.../tomatoai.html
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Big Beef (PSX 76186) - Breeder and vendor: Petoseed. Characteristics: large fruited, indeterminate Beefsteak type, earlier, more productive and much more disease resistant than Beefsteak or Ponderosa Red. Resistance: verticillium wilt race 1, fusarium wilt races 1 and 2, alternaria stem canker, gray leaf spot, nematodes, tobacco mosaic virus. Similar: Better Boy, Beefmaster. 1991.
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That PSX number means something. Primarily it is the experimental number given to a tomato on trial. Most of those numbered lines fall by the wayside. Petoseed is closely connected to Burpee, Seminis, Monsanto, etc., but that is not too important. What is important is that the protection of that hybrid (Big Beef) will likely go on for quite a while.
Also, the Beefsteak type is a good way to describe it. The public likes that name and why waste it on an heirloom? Notice the association with the open-pollinated Beefsteak and Ponderosa. But to gather fans, the association to hybrids such as Better Boy and Beefmaster is important. They may, or may not be related, but the type of plant/fruit is so similar that it may, in fact, be related.
If you note the disease resistance monikers listed with Big Beef:
verticillium wilt race 1, fusarium wilt races 1 and 2, alternaria stem canker, gray leaf spot, nematodes, tobacco mosaic virus
That list of alphabeticals may give you a hint to one or more of the possible parents.
For instance; if you search beefsteak types that are open pollinated and have some of that disease tolerance, you may find this variety: Single Beefsteak.
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Single Beefsteak VFN - Breeder and vendor: W. Atlee Burpee Co. Characteristics: open pollinated, very large fruit with small blossom scar. Resistance: verticillium, fusarium, and nematodes. Similar: Super Steak. Adaptation: wide.
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Single Beefsteak was used in a hybrid that was once popular. Note the similar variety compared with Single Beefsteak VFN? It is Super Steak. Note below:
PVP certificate no. 8200028. 1983.
Plant Variety Protection Certificates 8/19/82 expired 1999.
Single Beefsteak could be a parent of Big Beef, but no guarantee. I could not find a PVP on
Big Beef. Single Beefsteak was released about 8 years before Big Beef, certainly enough time to test a new hybrid. Hint Hint.
With Big Beef as opposed to Super Steak...It may be that it is easier not to patent the cross but just maintain proprietary control. As Big Beef was introduced in 1991, seventeen years later on a PVP would expire this year! Does that automatically mean you can make your own Big Beef hybrid seed? NO!!!
Why not try to get some seed of the Single Beefsteak VFN open pollinated tomato to make crosses to the Big Beef F-1 hybrid? You may get earlier and bigger yields due to the Semi-determinate vine growth.
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Single Beefsteak VFN
Primary Color Red
Leaf Shape Regular Leaf
Growth Type Semi-determinate
Reproduction Open-pollinated
Days To Maturity Mid (69-80 days)
Type Standard
Size Large (over one pound
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http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache...lnk&cd=1&gl=us
Note how Big Beef is carrying the Tobacco Mosaic (T) gene. Dominant, so any beefsteak OP would work in a hybrid with Single Beefsteak VFN to get a hybrid with VFNT, but it would be better if the other line did not carry the (N) gene, as it carries way too much genetic garbage,(reduced fruit size, mishapened fruit, etc). A Beef Steak with VFT and another F gene with alternaria stem canker, gray leaf spot would do the trick.
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Giant Beefsteaks Varieties - Big Beef VFNT
- Beefmaster VFN
- Burpee Supersteak VFN
VFN indicates the variety is resistant to Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt (generally both races of the Fusarium wilt fungus), and root-knot nematodes.
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Nice to know someone is talking about a segregant of Big Beef, a re-combinant, a selfed out version, an alternate stabilized progeny line that carries at least some of the original hybrid. Technically, it can't be a de-hybridized parent of either side, but it could be close enough to get by on descriptions alone. That may mean something or not. It does not guarantee any genetic resistance of either parent, and it could even be inferior or superior to either parent. But if it has the (N) gene, I doubt it. Selection pressure where nematodes are not a problem usually favors the non resistant version. Note Gary Ibsen's Big Beef:
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Tomatofest’s Big Beef.
This is a de-hybridized version of an American favorite. These large, juicy, fruits combine old-fashioned beefsteak flavor with heavy yields. 1-pound, round to globe- shaped. Flavor is full and hearty with lots of sweet juice balanced with that wonderful tomato acidity. These giants slice up perfectly for big sandwiches. Fruit stays large even at the end of a long harvest season.
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Once again, I rather dislike the term de-hybridize. You can't break the hybrid done to the original two parents, unless you know a lot about the parents and can compare side by side with them. In the case of Monsanto, that won't happen. One could easily develop many so-called de-hybridized versions and recross them to see if the hybrid is similar. I suggest to offer a bit of humor to the OP version and call it a "Knock off Open Pollinated" version of the original hybrid.
So few of us can identify the VFNTst..blah...blah genes in the actual plant derived from the original hybrid. Note that Gary does not claim any VFNT alphabeticals?
http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache...lnk&cd=1&gl=us
This link will illustrate how tough it is to identify lines that have the disease resistance and relevance as a possible parent. If you add (open pollinated variety) to the mix, you may note that OP versions of Beefsteak go back about 25 years. It will be hard to find to find OP versions from the professionals in later searches. That a few people wish to take a hybrid to an OP version is commendable, but I feel there should be a number or some other moniker to indicated the history and development.
If someone wants me to make a facsimile hybrid by using Single Beefsteak VFN to a Ibsen or SSE version of an OP of Big Beef, let me know. Otherwise you may wish to do it yourself. I could probably customize a few F-1 seeds just for fun.
Tom Wagner
Sorry for the long transcription here. Just because I started saving seed from tomato hybrids, mine and commercial hybrids like Big Boy back in the early to mid 1950's; my experience doesn't mean a thing when it comes to the selfing of Big Beef.