Genetic diversity in crop plants is the conditio sine qua non for sustainable agriculture
and long-term food security. Our research carried out the morphological, agronomic, and physicochemical
characterization and resistance to late blight of 35 tomato landraces from seven countries.
These landraces have been approved and appear in the Official Catalog of Varieties. The International
Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) descriptors have been used to describe the tomato’s
morphological and agronomic characteristics. For the physico-chemical characteristics, the dry matter,
the pH, and the carotenoid content (lycopene, lutein, and β-carotene)) were analyzed. Carotenoids
were monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed
that the morphological diversity of landraces was very high. Three landraces of remarkable commercial
value have shown increased resistance to late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans, one of
the most damaging diseases of tomato. Also, six landraces had a lycopene content exceeding 100
μg/g sample. The carotenoid content ranged between 0.769 (Marmande-FR 166) and 140.328 mg kg−1
FW (Răscruci). The landrace with the highest β carotene content was PT 308 with 65.499 mg kg−1
FW, while the lowest values were registered for Marmande-FR 166 with 0.105 mg kg−1 FW. The
present study provides essential information on the morphological and agronomic qualities of these
tomato landraces and their lycopene and other carotenoid content. The results are discussed in light
of the importance of tomato landraces in meeting the preferences of different producers and consumers,
the choice of the most suitable landraces for specific pedoclimatic conditions, and the supply
of carotenoid pigment sources for the pharmaceutical industry. Our research responds to humanity’s
great global challenges: preserving agricultural biodiversity, protecting the environment
by identifying pest-resistant varieties, and also protecting consumer health by finding important
sources of antioxidants