Progress 11/05/05 to 09/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: We evaluating tomato germplasm and breeding lines for desirable traits to develop new cultivars for the greenhouse tomato industry with resistance to insects and diseases and better organoleptic traits to meet the needs of the North American producer. Selection for superior plant habit and fruit quality analyzed plants from over 30 populations each year. Based on observations in 2008 and 2009, some breeding lines may be earlier than the standard greenhouse lines and we are now taking data on that as well. In 2009 we counted internodes between the first true leaf and first flower cluster as well as between flower clusters to see if we can select for earliness and increase the amount of fruit possible on the vine by increasing the number of fruit clusters possible. Tomatoes were assessed for color, brix and size as well as taste. Marker assisted selection was used to track the transfer of the Ph3 gene for late blight resistance from germplasm obtained from Dr. Martha Mutschler at Cornell University into heirloom lines selected for superior taste. Three students were trained in research methodology as part of the WVSU SURE program supported by WV HEPC (EPSCoR) funds and developed a CAPs marker data base of lines used in the breeding program based on known function genes from SOL Genomics Network (SGN). Self compatible and self incompatible accessions of the wild species S. pennellii along with self compatible tomato varieties were crossed to assess their selfing capability and selected lines were chosen to obtain sequence of the S gene to assist with understanding reproductive barriers between these species. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: Barbara E. Liedl, Jeremy M. Sisson, Hannah M. Cavender, Douglas Bright, Alexander Smith, Melissa Smith, Kristen Wilfong, Nathan Atkins, John Flora, Warren Olive, Velvet Worstell, Partner Organizations: Cornell University, North Carolina State University, Ohio State University, USDA ARS PGRU, Tomato Genetics Resource Center, Collaborators and contacts: Umesh Reddy, Padma Nimmakayala, West Virginia University, University of Florida, Training or professional development: WVSU Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Program in 2009 and 2010 for two undergraduate students each year. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences: producers, researchers, germplasm curators, extension specialists, and seed industry professionals Efforts: Training of undergraduate students in research methodology as part of SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research Program) as well as for credit in the Department of Biology at WVSU for Bio 395 Practicum in Biology, Bio 490 Directed Student Research, or Bio 491 Undergraduate Independent Research. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Initial research on this project supports the need to develop in indeterminate greenhouse tomato varieties, as indeterminate field tomato lines do not perform as well in tomatoes developed specifically for the greenhouse environment. Crosses between selected heirlooms and germplasm have been made which resulted in the development of advanced lines with superior plant habit and fruit quality for greenhouse production. Within these lines, we have identified lines with superior taste, plant habit and late blight disease resistance markers and seed has been saved. Based on work by an undergraduate student we have also identified several lines with higher lycopene content than either of the parent lines, however, the fruit of these lines are smaller than desired. Self compatible and incompatible S. pennellii accessions have been identified and the S gene is being cloned from these along with two tomato varieties.
Publications
- Liedl, B.E. and J.M. Sisson. 2007. Evaluation of Greenhouse, Field and Heirloom Tomato Varieties in Hydroponic Greenhouse Production. Tomato Breeders Roundtable Program, November 4-7, 2009, University Park, PA. http://tgc.ifas.ufl.edu/2007/2007IndividualAbsPDf/Liedl.pdf
- Labate, J.A., Grandillo, S., Fulton, T., Munos, S., Caicedo, A., Peralta, I., Ji, Y., Chetelat, J.W. Scott, M.J. Gonzalo, D. Francis, W. Yang, E. van der Knaap, A. M. Baldo, B. Smith-White, L.A. Mueller, J.P. Prince, N.E. Blanchard, D.B. Storey, M.R. Stevens, M.D. Robbins, J.-F. Wang, B.E. Liedl, M.A. O'Connell, J.R. Stommel, K. Aoki, Y. Iijima, A.J. Slade, S.R. Hurst, D. Loeffler, M.N. Steine, D. Vafeados, C. McGuire, C. Freeman, A. Amen, J. Goodstal, D. Facciotti, J. van Eck and M. Causse. 2007. Tomato. p. 1-125. In Genome Mapping and Molecular Breeding in Plants: Volume 5 Vegetables, C. Kole (ed). Springer Publishing Co. NY.
- Liedl, B.E. and J.M. Sisson. 2009. Evaluation of Greenhouse, Field and Heirloom Tomato Varieties in Hydroponic Greenhouse Production. Association of Research Directors 15th Biennial Research Symposium, March 28-April 1 2009, Atlanta, Georgia.
- Liedl, B. E., K. Wilfong, M. Smith, V. Worstell and J.M. Sisson. 2007. Evaluation, Enhancement and Breeding of Greenhouse Tomatoes. HortScience 42(4):891.
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
A total of seventy-two tomato lines including resistant determinant field germplasm, indeterminate heirloom varieties, and indeterminate greenhouse hybrids were grown using commercial hydroponic production methods at the WVSU Research Greenhouses. Fruit were evaluated for size, weight, % brix and taste. The indeterminate heirloom or determinant field varieties produced the largest or heaviest fruit. However, the number of large or extra-large fruit produced by the greenhouse lines was higher. Fruit from greenhouse lines had lower weights and had low soluble solids readings. While able to produce fruit in a greenhouse, field or heirloom varieties do not produce the number of tomatoes necessary for greenhouse production systems. Thus, lines developed specifically for greenhouse production need to be developed. Transfer of traits from the field or heirloom varieties such as high fruit weight, higher soluble solids and other traits would be of benefit to the greenhouse
tomato industry. Crosses between heirloom varieties and late blight resistant germplasm from Cornell and North Carolina resulted in harvested seed. Seed from selected hybrids will be grown and screened for plant growth, fruit characters, genetic markers and late blight resistance in the future. Space and equipment to allow maintenance and screening with the late blight pathogen was set up. DNA was extracted from all of the lines and preliminary AFLP gels were analyzed to visualize the degree of similarity between the lines. Two hundred and fifteen polymorphic bands were scored from five gels. A dendogram based on the Pearson correlation was created. Eight greenhouse varieties were scattered throughout the dendogram. Clustering was found with the Cornell and NC germplasm, which is probably due to similar ancestry. In addition, forty-two SSR primer sets for markers on chromosome 1, 2 and 4 have been amplified and exhibit the correct band size. Ten of these primer pairs have been tested
on 40-50 cultivated tomato lines, but only two primer pairs showed polymorphisms. Multiplexing of two primer pairs per reaction was also attempted to reduce use of materials, but it was difficult to separate close polymorphisms (150 bp and less between products). To increase the likelihood of finding polymorphisms within tomato's narrow germplasm base it was imperative to identify markers with reported polymorphism within cultivated tomato. SNP and SSR markers suggested by Dr. David Francis at Ohio State University and CAPS markers developed by Drs. Angela Baldo and Joanne Labate of the USDA-ARS PGRU will be evaluated next.
Impacts
Greenhouse tomato growers struggle more than field tomato growers to control pests and diseases during their crop's long-term production in an enclosed environment. Developing greenhouse varieties that are adapted to North American conditions with integrated pest and disease resistance would aid the US greenhouse tomato industry prosper. Recent advances in tomato research has identified genomic regions responsible for several insect and disease resistant traits which are being transferred to field and processing tomatoes and will be moved into greenhouse germplasm to develop new varieties for greenhouse growers.
Publications
- Worstell, V.L., Nimmakayala, P., Reddy, U.K. and Liedl, B.E. 2006. Evaluation of genetic diversity in greenhouse and heirloom tomato varieties. Association of Research Directors 14th Biennial Research Symposium, April 1-5 2006, Atlanta, Georgia.
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