Every modern tomato owes a debt to Marglobe. Released by the USDA in 1925, this year marks its 100th anniversary—a perfect time to reflect on a variety that changed the course of American agriculture. Developed to combat devastating plant diseases, Marglobe was the first tomato bred specifically for resistance to both Fusarium wilt and nailhead rust. Nearly a century later, its genetics still live on in countless tomato varieties, making it one of the most influential cultivars in garden history.
A Crisis in the Tomato Fields
By the early 1920s, tomato growers across the southern United States were in trouble. Two diseases—Fusarium wilt and nailhead rust—had taken hold in the region’s warm, humid soils, devastating crops and putting entire farming operations at risk. Fusarium wilt, a soil-borne fungus, had already spread widely by 1920. Once established, it lingered in the soil for years, slowly choking the life from tomato plants and making replanting a losing game.
Nailhead rust soon compounded the problem. In Florida—the heart of the country’s winter tomato industry—entire harvests failed. The 1925 and 1926 seasons were nearly total losses, and for a time, it looked as though the state's tomato industry might disappear entirely.
Growers had few tools. Chemicals offered little help, and infected soil couldn’t simply be replaced. Many farmers walked away from tomato cultivation altogether.
It was into this landscape that Marglobe arrived. Bred for resistance to both Fusarium and nailhead rust, it offered a way forward when few options remained. The USDA would later credit the variety with saving the Florida tomato-shipping industry from collapse.
A New Kind of Tomato for a Growing Nation
The Marglobe tomato was developed by Dr. Frederick J. Pritchard of the USDA, who began breeding it in 1917 in response to the disease pressures facing American growers. Working at the USDA’s plant breeding program in Washington, D.C., Pritchard crossed two earlier tomato varieties—‘Marvel’, known for its disease resistance, and ‘Globe’, valued for its shape and quality. The cross was made in 1918, and after nearly a decade of selection and trials, the resulting variety was introduced in 1925 as ‘Marglobe’, a portmanteau of its parents’ names.
What set Marglobe apart was its combination of traits. It offered resistance to both Fusarium wilt and nailhead rust, along with uniform, round, scarlet-red fruit that resisted cracking and ripened evenly—a rarity at the time. Early USDA trials and commercial feedback confirmed its value not just as a field tomato, but as a promising new standard for shipping, canning, and fresh markets alike.
A Lifesaver for Southern Growers
For growers in the South—particularly in Florida—Marglobe was more than a new tomato. It was a lifeline. Newpapers of the day reported on deliveries of Marglobe seed as if it were a shipment of fresh water and fuel after a hurricane. "Marglobe Seed Sent to Rainey," read the Miami Daily News on July 14th, 2026, "...County Agent Receives 100 One-Ounce Packages to Give Tomato Growers." Fields that had been abandoned due to disease pressure would soon become productive again. Shippers and canners praised Marglobe for its firmness and shelf life, while farmers valued its resilience and consistent yields. Its introduction helped stabilize a faltering industry and gave Southern growers a renewed sense of confidence in tomato production.
USDA bulletins and extension agents promoted Marglobe widely during the late 1920s and 1930s, touting its reliability and disease resistance. Its impact was immediate and lasting—within just a few years, Marglobe had become a dominant variety across many Southern tomato-producing regions. By the mid 1930s, it was a titan among tomatoes, crowned in the 1937 USDA Yearbook of Agriculture as "the most important variety of tomato in the United States and in the world today." Little more than a decade after its release, Marglobe's legacy had already been cemented.
Marglobe's Family Tree
Marglobe didn’t just make history—it made offspring. Its disease-resistant genetics quickly became foundational material for future breeding. Most notably, it was used as one of the parent lines in the development of the ‘Rutgers’ tomato, released in 1934 by Rutgers University in collaboration with the USDA. Rutgers would go on to dominate the commercial tomato industry for decades, especially in the canning sector.
Other derivatives soon followed. Varieties like ‘Marglobe Supreme’, ‘Marglobe Improved’, and ‘Pan America’ were selected for enhanced vigor, yield, or further disease resistance. Marglobe also influenced several regionally adapted shipping varieties used in truck farming hubs across New Jersey, North Carolina, and California. Its legacy lives on in the genetics of countless hybrid and open-pollinated tomatoes grown today.
Why Grow Marglobe Today?
Marglobe may have been developed for disease resistance, but it remains a favorite among gardeners for another reason: its flavor. It has the kind of rich, old-fashioned taste that many of us remember from childhood—balanced, tomatoey, and just a touch tangy.
Though sometimes listed as a determinate type, Marglobe doesn’t quite follow the rules. As noted in the 1927 Livingston Seed Catalog, it “bears its main crop early, then continues fruiting until frost,” making it ideal for home canners who want heavy sets and a long harvest window. The early flush of fruit allows for efficient batch processing, while the later harvests keep fresh tomatoes on the table for weeks to come.
Reliable, flavorful, and easy to grow, Marglobe continues to prove its worth nearly a century after its release.
Heirloom Status and Open-Pollinated Origins
Interestingly, Marglobe walks the line between commercial and heirloom. Though it began as a deliberate cross, it was released as an open-pollinated variety, meaning its seeds breed true and can be saved year after year. That’s why today it qualifies as an heirloom: it has been in continuous circulation for nearly 100 years and played a formative role in shaping American tomato culture.
A Tomato Worth Remembering
Marglobe might not be the flashiest tomato in our seed catalog, but its story is hard to beat. It helped solve one of the most pressing agricultural problems of its time, anchored the breeding of dozens of future varieties, and remains a solid choice for growers today.
Want to grow a piece of history? You’ll find Marglobe Tomato seeds in our collection of time-tested heirlooms. Reliable, disease-resistant, and full of flavor—it’s no wonder this USDA original is still going strong.
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