A team of researchers has made significant strides in combating the tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), a pathogen threatening the global tomato industry with potential damages reaching billions of dollars. Researchers have studies from a tomato line known as tomatoNN. This variety exhibits resistance to ToBRFV when grown at 22°C. At higher ambient temperatures, such as 30°C (86°F), this resistance is eroded. This brings up some very important questions about the impacts of climate on crop viability.
Kai Ling, formerly an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant pathologist at the U.S. Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston, S.C. She notes just how important temperature is to produce fruitfully growing tomatoes. Ling’s work on ToBRFV was recently published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal. Together with postdoctoral researcher Jing Zhou and coauthors, they focused on key ramifications for U.S. commercial tomato producers.
Barbara Baker and her team at the Plant Gene Expression Center in Albany, California, created the tomatoNN line 30 years ago. This line is very important for advancing breeding against ToBRFV. These are symptoms of brown rugose, which the virus causes in infected tomato fruits. Not only does it produce mottle mosaic patterns on their leaves, it causes reduced yields and lessened quality.
Ling noted that knowing the temperature-dependent nature of tomatoNN’s resistance is critical for cultivating the crop better in the future.
“As we look at the possible virus-resistant tomato cultivars, it is important to understand the role that temperature plays in production,” – Kai Ling
Our research shows that the N gene in tomato plants can offer critical protection against ToBRFV infection. This discovery is consistent with the N-mediated resistance to other viruses. It casts a vision for a broader application of genetic resistance in tomato breeding.
Ling acknowledges that the results of their study pave the way for breeding novel tomato cultivars resistant to ToBRFV.
“The results described in this paper highlight the significant potential of using the tomatoNN line to breed tomato cultivars resistant to ToBRFV and offers a new approach to managing this important disease for a beloved food staple,” – Kai Ling
To prevent the spread and impact of ToBRFV, researchers are urging the rapid identification of new sources of genetic resistance to ToBRFV.
“To minimize the impact of ToBRFV, it is crucial to identify new sources of genetic resistance that can be used to breed virus-resistant tomato cultivars,” – Kai Ling
Ling wants to stress that even though prevention strategies are key, sending cultivars equipped with resistance genes will always be imperatively important in the fight against tobamoviruses.
“While prevention is important, deploying cultivars with resistance genes is the critical strategy to combat tobamoviruses,” – Kai Ling
ARS is collaborating with university partners to bolster the fight against ToBRFV. With these new discoveries, they are one step closer to providing powerful solutions for U.S. tomato producers fighting this horrible virus.