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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #409393
Research Project: Harnessing Genomic Technologies Toward Improving Vegetable Health in Field and Controlled Environments

Location: Vegetable Research

Title: Evaluation of tomato germplasm against tomato brown rugose fruit virus and identification of resistance in Solanum pimpinellifolium

Author
item JAISWAL, NAMRATA - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item CHANDA, BIDISHA - Orise Fellow
item Gilliard, Andrea
item SHI, AINONG - University Of Arkansas
item Ling, Kai-Shu

Submitted to: Plants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2024
Publication Date: 2/21/2024
Citation: Jaiswal, N., Chanda, B., Gilliard, A.C., Shi, A., Ling, K. 2024. Evaluation of tomato germplasm against tomato brown rugose fruit virus and identification of resistance in Solanum pimpinellifolium. Plants. 13:581. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050581.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050581

Interpretive Summary: Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops worldwide. In the last few years, the tomato industry has faced a serious threat by the emerging tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). This seed-borne tobamovirus causes disease outbreaks to tomato productions in many countries around the world due to its ability in resistance breaking to the common resistance genes. In the present study, scientists at the U.S. Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston, SC, in collaboration with University of Arkansas, screened 476 accessions of tomato germplasm from 12 Solanum species against an American isolate of ToBRFV and identified 48 accessions in five species with asymptomatic to ToBRFV infection. In-depth analysis through serological testing identified four lines of S. pimpinellifolium with resistance to ToBRFV. This is first report of high resistance to ToBRFV in S. pimpinellifolium. S. pimpinellifolium is a wild tomato relative with close genetic relationship with cultivated tomato and can be readily used for making crosses with elite tomato materials in tomato breeding. These new genetic resources will expand the genetic pool available for breeding to develop new resistant cultivars of tomato against ToBRFV.

Technical Abstract: Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops grown worldwide. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), a seed-borne tobamovirus, poses a serious threat to tomato productions due to its ability to break the resistant genes (Tm-1, Tm-2, Tm-2^2) in tomato. The objective of this work was to identify new resistance source(s) of tomato germplasm against ToBRFV. To achieve this aim, a total of 476 accessions from 12 Solanum species were tested with the ToBRFV US isolate for their resistance and susceptibility. As a result, a total of 48 accessions with asymptomatic were identified as resistance/tolerance, including 31 S. pimpinellifolium, one accession of S. corneliomulleri, eight accessions of S. habrochaites, three accessions of S. peruvianum and five accessions of S. subsection lycopersicon hybrid. Further analysis using serological tests identified four highly resistant S. pimpinellifolium lines, 328, 329, 331 and 332. The inheritance of resistance in the selected lines was verified in a new generation. To our knowledge, this is a first report of high resistance to ToBRFV in S. pimpinellifolium. These new genetic resources will expand the genetic pool available for breeding to develop new resistant cultivars of tomato against ToBRFV.