The Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) continues to challenge growers worldwide, but Vegetables by Bayer and its seed brands, Seminis® and De Ruiter®, are committed to finding solutions for the long term. "While various varieties boast claims of ToBRFV resistance based on single-gene resistance, our focus is on a different path: investing in multi-gene ToBRFV resistance that does not compromise fruit quality or agronomic performance", the teams says.
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Recent research by Zisi et al. (2024) has identified a single nucleotide ToBRFV mutant (RB-ToBRFV) capable of breaking resistance in single-gene-resistant tomato cultivars. The newly developed ToBRFV-resistant varieties using multi-gene resistance technology have shown promise in initial trials by providing protection against this new RB-ToBRFV isolate.
"The significant news for growers is that De Ruiter has successfully incorporated this multi-gene resistance into its glasshouse tomato portfolio, including beef, truss, and cherry types. These new varieties have been rigorously tested under high virus pressure, in inoculated long-crop trials, and managed under commercial production conditions. We also involved consumer taste panels during development to ensure that these varieties maintain high-quality flavor and appearance."
© Vegetables by BayerIn each trial, 20 data points were collected for each variety. To assess the statistical significance of the symptom differences between varieties on each evaluation date, a Tukey test was employed. According to the test results, varieties that share the same letter cannot be differentiated in terms of symptom severity, whereas those with different letters exhibit distinct levels of symptom severity. The findings revealed that all Bayer varieties demonstrated significantly greater resistance compared to the susceptible check in both the St-ToBRFV and RB-ToBRFV trials at 14 and 21 days post-inoculation.
New varieties already in the ground
Vegetables by Bayer's first multi-gene ToBRFV-resistant De Ruiter glasshouse varieties, Ferreira (red beef) and Futumaru (pink beef), were launched in 2024. Both varieties have demonstrated intermediate resistance to ToBRFV while maintaining strong agronomic traits. Looking ahead, 2025 is anticipated to be a pivotal year, with new launches expected in several categories: Large Truss, Medium Truss, Cocktail & Cherry Plum Truss, and New Beef Varieties.
Some of the upcoming varieties may be adaptations of best-selling hybrids with the added benefit of multi-gene ToBRFV resistance, while others may be entirely new hybrids. "Regardless of their origin, these varieties are anticipated to deliver performance in both resistance levels and agronomic value. Several of these new offerings will be available for the LIT crop season starting in 2025."
For more information:
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Vegetables by Bayer
ToBRFV Knowledge Center
