Strategies and issues to consider in traditional breeding for TSWV resistance in tomato
Himmel P
Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Woodland, California, USA.
Correspondence: Phyllis.himmel@seminis.com
Tomatoes have been bred and selected for adaptation to specific growing areas for over 200 years and wild tomato species continue to be an important source of novel traits. Tomato spotted wilt causes yield losses in field and greenhouse tomato crops worldwide and unfortunately the efficacy of spray programs and cultural practices appears to be limited. Resistance to Tomato spotted wilt remains the most promising means of controlling this disease and can be found in Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium and L. peruvianum. Through wide interspecific crosses resistance has been introgressed into the cultivated tomato with good agronomic adaptability and commercial acceptability. Today, marker assisted selection for horticultural traits and disease resistance has streamlined the development of new commercial hybrids. The Seminis approach to breeding and selection for resistance, managing the resistance breaking isolates of Tomato spotted wilt, and the importance of combining resistance with key horticultural traits and marketing needs for a commercially successful product will be discussed.
