ASU professor breeds new tomato variety, the 'Desert Dew'
Changbin Chen (right) stands in front of trials of the "Desert Dew" tomato conducted at Biosphere 2. With him is Kai Staats, research director for the Space and Mars Program at BioSpere 2. Courtesy photo
In an era defined by climate volatility and resource scarcity, researchers are developing crops that can survive — and thrive — under pressure.
One such innovation is the newly released tomato variety "Desert Dew" bred by Changbin Chen, associate professor in Arizona State University's School of Life Sciences. More than just a tomato, Desert Dew represents a leap forward in sustainable agriculture, optimized for rapid growth, nutrient density and adaptability to extreme environments.
A breeding program rooted in adaptation
Desert Dew is the product of a long-term breeding project that began in Minnesota, targeting regions with short, frost-limited growing seasons.
When Chen relocated to Arizona in 2021, the program evolved to address additional challenges specific to desert environments, including extreme heat, drought and high UV radiation.
“We realized this variety is useful not only for short growing seasons in northern regions,” Chen explained, “but also for hot climates with two brief growing periods, like Arizona.”
According to Chen’s 2025 study published in HortScience, Desert Dew is a compact, determinateA plant type that is more compact and usually bush-like. tomato that matures significantly faster than conventional varieties — completing its life cycle three to four weeks earlier. Chen emphasized the practical implications of this, noting that this is a considerable advantage for both home gardeners and commercial growers operating under time or resource constraints.
The plant’s compact stature — characterized by shortened internodesThe space between leaves and fruit on the stem., a determinate growth habit, and minimal canopy spread — makes it exceptionally well suited for container gardening, high-density planting, and indoor or urban agriculture.
Chen illustrated this versatility during a field trial, explaining that “you can grow (these) in a very small space like a patio, pot or space share, and they would produce a pretty decent amount of tomatoes for salad or snacks.”
This compact form also lends itself to mechanical harvesting and indoor vertical farming, where space is at a premium.
This compact nature and potential for small-space farming are among the most forward-looking aspects of the Desert Dew project. In controlled environments like greenhouses or space stations, pollination often relies on manual intervention or the introduction of bumblebees — neither of which are ideal.
“We are trying to develop lines that can achieve highly effective self-pollination,” Chen explained. “That way, you don’t have to seek other pollinators.”
This goal is supported by a unique trait of the plant: a distinctive pointed tip on each fruit, which may contribute to more efficient self-pollination.
Chen’s research aims to understand how plants react to environmental stressors such as drought, UV radiation and temperature extremes. One major focus is on reducing the life cycle length of crops to limit water use and minimize disease exposure.
“If you have the same amount of yield but with a shorter time period, it’s going to save water, which can then be used for something else,” Chen said.
He’s particularly interested in exploring the genetic mechanisms that enable plants to withstand environmental stress.
“We are trying to see whether we can enhance molecular response to make plants more resistant,” he said, referencing ongoing efforts in stress-related gene expression and resilience breeding.
Nutrition and next steps
The ultimate goal is to develop tomato varieties that are not only high-yielding and fast-growing, but also enriched with nutrients for broader health benefits.
Beyond convenience and speed, Desert Dew is also a nutritional powerhouse. It contains significantly higher levels of vitamin C than standard red tomato varieties. Chen described this as one of the line’s key selection factors. Building on this success, Desert Dew is a promising candidate for enhancing other nutritional traits, such as increasing vitamin D production through gene editing.
While commercialization is one route being considered, Chen also envisions using Desert Dew to benefit the local community — possibly even starting with ASU’s campuses.
“We want to do something that directly benefits society,” he said. “And we hope our work can be applied very quickly.”
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