Whitefly Resistant Gene Found in Galápagos Tomato

Scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, together with its partners, have identified the genes for whitefly resistance in a wild relative of cultivated tomato known as the Galápagos tomato. Whitefly causes major damage to the plant and its fruit, and is an important vector of plant virus dissemination.

Scientists tested different seeds of crossable varieties of tomato from various gene banks and measured their resistance to whitefly. The 30 varieties underwent whitefly infestation and were observed for the number of eggs laid to them over five days. The said process revealed one crossable variety fully resistant to the whitefly – a wild tomato from the Galápagos Islands. The scientists then identified two resistance genes in the wild tomato using DNA research.

With this discovery, a plant breeding company hopes to introduce these genes into cultivated tomatoes and bring a resistant tomato to market within two years.

See the original article at http://www.wur.nl/UK/newsagenda/news/gal%C3%A1pagostomato12092012.htm.