Tomato Breeder Aims to Highlight Disease-Resistant Varieties
May 24, 2023 
Syngenta Vegetable Seeds has launched a “ToBRFV Resistant” seal to indicate tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV)-resistant varieties. The seal symbolizes Syngenta’s focus to deliver varieties that protect yields with disease resistance to not only ToBRFV, but other key diseases as well; to maintain high fruit quality, including flavor, shelf life, consistency, and transportability; and to continue research into solutions for ToBRFV and any other pest that impacts production.
The Syngenta team will discuss and answer questions about the new seal at this year’s Global Tomato Congress. ToBRFV has spread rapidly and is present on every continent around the world, spreading yield loss and quality concerns as it goes.
Disease resistance alone isn’t enough. Consumers have high expectations when it comes to flavor, and Syngenta is focused on protecting the flavor profiles consumers have come to know and love.
“As we continue to add new varieties to our lineup, we’re making sure they still taste great,” says Ruud Kaagman, Syngenta Global Crop Unit Head, Tomato. “With the introductions of new resistant varieties, we want to make sure that growers can continue to deliver what consumers expect.”
“Growers can lose up to 70% of their produce due to the virus, and it’s spreading rapidly,” says Kaagman, who is a featured panelist during the Global Tomato Congress in the “Breeding Resistances” discussion, continued. “We’re looking for solutions to ToBRFV without compromising resistance to other critical diseases.”
Syngenta researchers are looking for the whole package – ToBRFV resistance without compromising resistance to other diseases, fruit quality, and flavor. The ToBRFV Resistant seal tells growers they’re getting a full tomato package, whether it’s leaf curl, pepino virus, tomato spot virus, or simply concerns about fruit color and shelf life.
The researchers at Syngenta are taking the resistance currently found the market and incorporating it into new varieties and new kinds of tomatoes. Each new mode of action discovered brings a higher level of resistance than the last.
Learn more here.
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