Development of tomato hybrids resistant to tomato leaf curl virus disease in South India.

Shankarappa, K.S., Sriharsha, K.T., Aswathanarayana, D.S., Prameela, H.A., Kulkarni, R.S., Muniyappa, V., Rao, A.M. and Maruthi, M.N. (2008) Development of tomato hybrids resistant to tomato leaf curl virus disease in South India. Euphytica, 164 (2). pp. 531-539. ISSN ISSN: 0014-2336 (print version) ISSN: 1573-5060 (electronic version)

Abstract

Resistance to tomato leaf curl virus
disease (ToLCVD) in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
is scarce but was developed recently in three
open pollinated (OP) varieties (Sankranthi, Nandi
and Vybhav), which are now available for cultivation
in South India. Hybrids with superior yield
capabilities, however, are a preferred choice of cultivation
by farmers but hybrids are highly susceptible
to ToLCVD. In order to develop virus resistant
tomato hybrids, the three OPs were crossed with 12
tomato genotypes with superior agronomic characteristics.
From the crosses, 20 hybrids were selected
(named BLRH-1 to BLRH-20, Bangalore leaf curl
virus-resistant hybrid) and evaluated for their resistance
to ToLCVD at the University of Agricultural
Sciences, Bengaluru, South India, both through
whiteXy-mediated inoculations in the glasshouse and
natural infection in the Weld during summer 2005.
Their growth and fruit yield parameters were
compared against the popularly grown hybrids and
OPs. Differences occurred between hybrids in disease
incidence, spread, symptom severity and fruit
yield. Of the 20 hybrids evaluated, 11 were found
resistant to ToLCVD in the field, but only three
(BLRH-3, BLRH-9 and BLRH-16) remained resistant
when challenged with high virus inoculum pressure
in the glasshouse through whiteXy-mediated
inoculations. None of the six commercially available
hybrids tested was found resistant to ToLCVD. An
examination of the extent of heterosis in resistant
hybrids for both quantitative and qualitative characters
over the popularly grown hybrid, US-618, indicated
a major improvement in virus resistance, yield
and fruit quality. All the twenty hybrids yielded significantly more than US-618, and of these, BLRH-3
and BLRH-16 were considered the best with yields
over ca. 60 t/ha and resistant to virus both in the
glasshouse and field.

Actions (login required)