November 2022 - 7

UF studying horizontal tomatoes, disease resistance
By Doug Ohlemeier
Assistant Editor
In the future, growers could harvest
tomatoes grown trailing or lying flat
on plant beds instead of being tied to
vertical stakes. University of Florida's
(UF) tomato breeding program plans to
release several compact tomato hybrids.
UF is also breeding resistant
tomatoes. Bedeviled by numerous
diseases inhabiting Florida's subtropical
growing environment, tomato growers
require plants possessing strong disease
resistance.
Sam Hutton, an associate professor
of horticulture at UF's Institute of Food
and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), is
researching compact growth habit
tomato hybrids.
With the goal of mechanical
harvesting, a gene that shortens a tomato
plants' height was identified. Traditional
plant breeding was used to combine this
gene with another which allows fruit to
detach more easily from the plants. It
may soon be possible that varieties such
as these could be harvested by machine,
requiring less manual labor and helping
to reduce production costs, Hutton said.
University of Florida's tomato breeding program plans to release several compact tomato
hybrids, ones not requiring staking. Photos: Sam Hutton
exceeding a popular commercial
variety, Hutton said. The new variety
harvested 1,782 boxes an acre compared
to another variety's 1,282 during fall
2021. Fruit size is also larger in the new
hybrid, providing another advantage.
The variety resists fusarium crown
and root rot, tomato yellow leaf curl
virus, and tomato spotted wilt virus
(TSWV). The disease package may
make the variety suitable throughout
Florida and in other areas where these
diseases are problems.
Hutton also updated on progress to
introduce resistance to two important
tomato diseases: bacterial spot and
target spot.
There are currently no effective
control measures for bacterial spot of
tomato, which causes both foliar and
fruit symptoms. The disease is caused
by several Xanthomonas species and
thrives in Florida's warm and humid fall
temperatures.
National effort
Hutton is cooperating with a team of
In the future, growers could harvest
tomatoes grown trailing or lying flat
on plant beds instead of being tied to
vertical stakes.
One of Hutton's students who is
studying plant architecture has also
discovered a separate gene that affects
the degree to which a plant spreadsout
more on the bed or grows more
vertically. As prostate vines tend to
leave fruit more exposed and subject
to damage, and upright vines are more
inclined to crowd and damage the fruit,
Hutton believes a hybrid between the
two types may be the best fit for a stakeless
production system.
Resistant cultivars
Resistance is a key part of UF's tomato
breeding. UF is planning to release
high-yielding hybrid varieties possessing
strong disease resistance.
Besides the compact varieties, Hutton
has also developed a new Roma hybrid,
22PLx1006, that he expects will soon
be available commercially. 22PLx1006
has performed very well in trials, with
yields competitive with and sometimes
researchers at UF and other universities
on a new $5.8 million USDA grant
project that addresses bacterial
spot. The 19 scientists from across
the country will augment UF/IFAS
research by also studying better ways
to mitigate the disease. The scientists
plan to sample strains of bacterial
spot from commercial transplant
facilities that produce tomato seedlings
for farming. The research's goal is to
reduce economic losses throughout the
fresh-market and processing tomato
industries.
In contrast with tomatoes, several
highly effective resistance genes have
been discovered and are currently
being commercially used in bell pepper
varieties to protect against bacterial spot.
Part of the team's project is utilizing
CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology
to introduce a similar resistance into
tomato that presently exists in pepper.
" There have not been any strains
of bacteria that have overcome this
resistance in pepper, " Hutton said.
" What if we could tap into this
resource...and use it for tomatoes?
And what if we could leverage this
resistance from pepper using a nonPHIL
BROWN
WELDING CORP.
4750 8 Mile Rd.
Conklin, MI 49403
Phone: (616) 784-3046
Fax (616) 784-5852
www.philbrownwelding.com
VGN | NOVEMBER 2022 | 7
Cross Action Forks
Double Forks
Box/Bin Nester
Brush Pusher
Conveyors
Mechanical Bulk Loader
Universal Dump All
Weed Spray Tank
3 Pt. Forks
3 Pt. Hi Lift
Sprayers
Freight-Mate
Lift, rotate and dump up to 3,000 lbs. on
24-inch load center
Dependable, low-cost hydraulically
Operated 180˚ or 130˚ rotator
Automatic box clamp also available
* Less than half the cost of most rotators.
* Smooth hydraulic operation - no gears or ratchets
* One man can attach and disconnect the rotator
* Can be used on conventional and rough terrain
forklifts
AUTHORIZED
DURANDWAYLAND
DEALER
PROVIDING
PARTS
&
SERVICE TO ALL
OF MICHIGAN
* Right to left rotation easily changed by operator in
the field
* Accepts standard forks on Class II fork mount
* Allows nesting and stacking from the driver's seat
while forks are at 180˚
OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT
HYDRAULIC CONTROL VALVE
HOSE REEL
HOSE PULLEY BRACKETS
PALLET GRIP
transgenic approach? If successful, this
research may provide an effective, nontransgenic
solution to this generational
tomato disease challenge. "
UF's approach to breeding for
bacterial spot resistance has changed
over the years. Until the late 1990s,
the program focused strongly on
major resistance genes that gave high
levels of disease resistance. These,
however, proved to be short lived,
as small changes in the pathogen
quickly allowed it to overcome the
resistance. Today, the breeding program
concentrates more on combining
We offer a
full line of
fruit &
vegetable
equipment
Bacterial spot is a major tomato disease
that causes foliar and fruit symptoms.
several genes which have smaller
effects, but aren't so easily overcome by
the pathogen, Hutton said.
To battle target spot, UF researchers
have identified resistance in several
wild tomato accessions, and breeding
is underway to transfer this resistance
into cultivated types. Genetic studies
have already located a key resistance
gene, and early-stage field testing has
been promising. They are witnessing
completely clean, disease-free plants
where the resistance is present,
compared to heavily infected plants that
lack the resistance. VGN
Equipment that makes dollars & 'sense'
http://www.philbrownwelding.com
November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2022
