Evaluation of tomato germplasm for resistance to geminivirus in Guatemala

Project Coordinator:

   Dr. Luis Mejia, San Carlos Universidad, Guatemala City

            E-mail: sst@concyt.gob.gt

Collaborators:

   Dr. Douglas P. Maxwell, University of Wisconsin-Madison

   Dr. Hanokh Czosnek  and Favi  Vidavski, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel

   Dr. Moshe Lapidot, The Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan,  Israel

Sources of germplasm:

• Friedmann, M., Lapidot, M., Cohen, S., and Pilowsky, M.  1998.  A novel source of resistance to tomato yellow leaf curl virus exhibiting a symptomless reaction to viral infection.  J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 123:1004-1006.

        (Resistance from L. peruvianum, lines TY197, TY198 evaluated.)

• Vidavsky, F., and Czosnek, H.  1998.  Tomato breeding lines resistant and tolerant to tomato yellow leaf curl virus issued from Lycopersicon hirsutum.  Phytopathology 88:910-914.

        (Resistance from L. hirsutum, lines Favi 9, Favi 13.)

• H. Laterrot, INRA, France

        (Resistance from L.pimpinellifolium x L. peruvianum and L. cheesmani x L. peruvianum.)

Evaluation Site:  Sansirisay Valle, Guatemala is located about 5 km west of Sanarate, GT, which is 90 minutes east of Guatemala City on the main road to the Caribbean Sea.  This area is dry and mountainous and is characterized by a wet and dry season (December to May).  The Sansirisay Valle (850 m) is surrounded by mountains with a river, Rio los Platanos running along the west end.  This river is used for irrigation, and crops (tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, maize, onions) are grown all year.  The area is about 400 ha and there are about 50 growers in this valley.  Two sites have been used:  one is the germplasm evaluation site, which is on the east end of the valley and the other is the commercial evaluation site, which is on the west site of the river.

   Typically, tomatoes have 100% incidence of geminiviruses in this valley and three geminiviruses have been characterized: tomato severe leaf curl virus (AF130415), tomato golden mottle virus (AF132852), and pepper golden mosaic virus (AF136404).

Field trials:

   i)    March - August, 1999: Germplasm Evaluation

   ii)    Nov. 00 - Feb. 00:

           Trial 1:  Germplasm Evaluation:  Families from individual plants, which showed the least symptoms from the March-August, 1999 field trials (see above).

           Trial 2:  Germplasm Evaluation within a commercial production system.

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