Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: ACTIVITIES: Information on the progress of this program through Dec 2011 and on materials released was presented in written VBI annual reports provided to vegetable seed companies in January 2012. This report also included instructions on how companies can request germplasm and lines under MTA for testing, or license lines for use in production of commercial hybrids. Activities for 2012 included performance of replicated trials comparing hybrids without resistance, with resistance to Late blight and early blight, and with resistance to Late blight and early blight, and either heterozygous or homozygous for septoria leaf spot in plots in regional trials in NY, under conventional agricultural conditions or in organic plots to determine whether hybrids heterozygous for SLS resistance are sufficient for disease control, or if homozygous for the resistance is preferable. Additional experiments inoculated with septoria leaf spot tested the impact of septoria resistance on the spread of this disease, and septoria epidemiology over the season. EVENTS: A number of events were included in the work in 2012. The annual Vegetable Breeding Field Day was held in Ithaca August 27, 2012 for seed company breeders and other seed company representatives to view the current materials in the tomato program in field and greenhouse plantings, to see materials being released, and to discuss progress and future plans of the tomato breeding program. Information was also presented to growers in twilight meetings July 10 to July 13, 2012. PRODUCTS: The slides and abstracts of the two talks at the tomato disease workshop listed above are now on line at the web site www.vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/TDW/Agenda Final for 2011 26th TDWwebsite.pdf. Freshmarket tomato lines possessing genetic control of late blight, early blight and septoria leaf spot were released to seed companies in Jan 2011 in the VBI annual report. These are the first tomato lines released that have the SLS resistance, and also the first lines that have the combination of genetic controls to late blight, early blight, and Septoria leaf spot. The release of these lines will allow seed companies to transfer the combination of genetic controls of late blight, early blight, and Septoria leaf spot to their lines, and ultimately to new commercial hybrids for grower use. The High Mowing organic seed company licensed one of the lines for use as a parent of a new hybrid (to be named Iron Lady) which is now being offered for use in the 2013 growing season. So the materials tested and demonstrated in this project are now available to growers. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS: M. Mutschler (Professor and PI) Dept. of Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. S. Zitter, Post Doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY Worked on the Septoria leaf spot program, and on the blight program. D. DeJong (Technician for Mutschler) Dept. of Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY performs marker analysis on tomatoes for blight project. S. Southwick and R. Gaisser (Technicians for Mutschler) Dept. of Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, Cornell Univ. Both assist in tomato growth in greenhouse and field, in tomato disease screens, crossing to produce tomato seed, handling of tomato seed. Training was provided to seed company breeders and staff through presentations by Zitter and by Mutschler at the annual field day (Aug 27, 2012, Ithaca, NY) Training was provided to growers and to extension staff at a series of conventions and twilight meetings as follows: Zitter presentation Feb 22-23 2012. Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada (Late blight of tomato and control with genetic resistance - 100 attendees. Zitter presentation Feb 27 2012. Western New York Winter Vegetable Meeting on Tomato Diseases Monday , Lockport, NY Niagara Co - 45 attendees. Zitter presentation March 1, 2012. University of Massachusetts meeting on Late Blight of Tomato. - -Amherst, MA - 20 attendees. Zitter presentation Twilight Meetings July 10 2012 Korona Korn Veg. Farm, Amsterdam, NY, Fulton Co. (20 attendees). Zitter presentation Twilight Meetings July 11 2012 Engels Acres, Troy, NY, Rensselaer Co (40 attendees). Zitter presentation Twilight Meetings July 12 2012 Davandjer Farm, Pine Island, NY, Orange Co. (45 attendees). TARGET AUDIENCES: TARGET AUDIENCES: One target audience are the national and international seed companies, which use the tomato germplasm produced by this program, as well as the methods developed by this program, to develop commercial tomato varieties with improved performance and disease resistance. This is a critical target audience, since seed companies must successfully incorporate new traits into their hybrids for the traits to become available to growers, and thereby benefit consumers. A second target audience are the US and international tomato growers, who will use the varieties resulting from the germplasm produced by this program. Tomato growers in temperate growing regions will use the varieties with resistance to Septoria Leaf Spot, early blight and late blight resulting from the germplasm produced, reducing their use of fungicides, to improve tomato production and quality, reduce risk of crop loss. A third target audience are Extension staff, who are trained in the yearly IN SERVICE training sessions, at which the results of this program are presented and discussed. A fourth set target audiences are rural agricultural communities and the rural environment, which benefit from reduction of chemical use when tomato diseases are controlled by genetic resistance, rather than chemical sprays. A fifth target audience are tomato consumers, who benefit from improved quality and availability of tomatoes as well as from reduction of chemical usage and thereby the reduction of risk of residue in food. Efforts Practicum experiences: the program is part of a practicum course providing graduate students outside of the program with opportunities for experience in vegetable breeding. Program also provided seed to a 4H program, which grew and marketed tomatoes and other vegetables to provide children participating with experience with growth, use, and marketing of a variety of vegetables, and considering the advantages of disease resistance in vegetables. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
CONTROL OF THREE FUNGAL DEFOLIATING DISEASES. Late blight, early blight, and Septoria leaf spot are three fungal diseases that defoliate tomato in moist temperate regions. Synthetic fungicides control these three diseases, however control fails when weather conditions favors the pathogens or interferes with spray programs. Genetic control of these diseases is needed to reduce use of fungicides. Late Blight was totally controlled by the homozygous Ph2/Ph3 resistance in all "triple resistant" lines and hybrids. SLS disease response in the uninoculated trial in the Freeville NY organic farm to test the impact of heterozygous vs homozygous SLS control was light due to hot/dry conditions summer 2012. However did provide evaluation of of fruit quality. As in 2011, the 2012 trial showed that the fruit and yield of most of the hybrids with genetic control of all three diseases were similar to that of commercial control hybrids and fruit sizes similar to that of moderate fruit size controls. The SLS inoculated trial at the Plant Pathology Farm, also in Freeville NY, was very successful. The goal for this experiment was to determine the impact of the SLS resistance on the rate of SLS spread when the test did not include inoculation with atypical high inoculums loads either applied directly or from a preponderance of highly disease susceptible plants surrounding the SLS resistant plants. The results allowed development of recommendation for efficient/effective use of the resistant lines in tomato production, so that extension staff and growers can be provided with information needed for effective control of fungal disease while greatly reducing fungicide use. The Late blight/early blight/ Septoria leaf spot lines are now being used by several seed companies to transfer of these Late blight/early blight/ Septoria leaf spot genetic controls to proprietary lines and ultimately to new commercial hybrids. One commercial hybrid is being sold for commercial use in 2013 season. The Late blight/early blight/ Septoria leaf spot resistant hybrids, would be of use in both conventional and organic production, resulting in less risk of loss due to these three foliar fungal diseases, and allowing substantial reduction in use of fungicides.
Publications
- Zitter, T.A., Zitter, S.M., Mutschler, M.A., and McKay, S.P. 2012. Using host resistance and reduced-risk fungicides to control early blight and Septoria leaf spot on tomato, 2011. Plant Disease Management Report (Online). Report 6:VO26. doi:10.1094/PDMR06.
- Zitter, T.A. 2012. Septoria leaf spot of tomato. Focus on Tomato, http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/infocenter/topic/focusontomato/ Zitter, T. A. 2012. Tomato disease management strategies and fungicides for control. Posted June. http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/NewsArticles/Tomato_Strate gies_Fungicide.pdf
- Zitter, S. M., Mutschler-Chu, M. A., and Zitter, T. A. Impact of Septoria leaf spot (SLS) Tomato Resistant Lines in SLS Epidemiology. 27th Annual Tomato Disease Workshop, Wooster, OH October 17-18, 2012
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Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: ACTIVITIES: Activities for this year included performance of replicated trials comparing hybrids without resistance, with resistance to Late blight and early blight, and with resistance to Late blight and early blight, and septoria leaf spot in plots in regional trials in VA, NC, WV, and NY, under conventional agricultural conditions or in organic plots. EVENTS: A number of events were included in the work in 2012. The annual Vegetable Breeding Field Day was held in Ithaca NY late August 2011 for seed company breeders and other seed company representatives to view the current materials in the tomato program in field and greenhouse plantings, to see materials being released, and to discuss progress and future plans of the tomato breeding program. The results of the work to date in the project was presented to over 100 participants at the Tomato Disease workshop, Ithaca NY on October 11, 2011 in two talks titled Performance of hybrids combining genetic control to early blight and late blight with and without resistance to Septoria leaf spot and Comparing the performance of early blight and Septoria leaf spot resistant materials in the presence and absence of fungicides. Information on the progress of the tomato program and on materials being released is also presented in written VBI annual reports provided to seed companies in January 2012, along with instructions on how companies can submit requests for germplasm. PRODUCTS: The slides and abstracts of the two talks at the tomato disease workshop listed above are now on line at the web site www.vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/TDW/Agenda Final for 2011 26th TDW website.pdf. Freshmarket tomato lines possessing genetic control of late blight, early blight and septoria leaf spot were released to seed companies in Jan 2011 in the VBI annual report. These are the first tomato lines released that have the SLS resistance, and also the first lines that have the combination of genetic controls to late blight, early blight, and Septoria leaf spot. The release of these lines will allow seed companies to transfer the combination of genetic controls of late blight, early blight, and Septoria leaf spot to their lines, and ultimately to new commercial hybrids for grower use. PARTICIPANTS: M. Mutschler (Professor and PI) Dept. of Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. S. Zitter, Post Doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY Worked on the Septoria leaf spot program, and on the blight program. D. DeJong (Technician for Mutschler) Dept. of Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY performs marker analysis on tomatoes for blight project. S. Southwick and R. Gaisser (Technicians for Mutschler) Dept. of Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, Cornell Univ., Both assist in tomato growth in greenhouse and field, in tomato disease screens, crossing to produce tomato seed, handling of tomato seed. COLLABORATORS: T. Zitter (Professor Dept. of Plant Pathology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY and CoPI on LB/EB/SLS project). C. Bornt Coop. Exten. Educator, Cornell Coop. Extension, Albany, NY, Assisting in SLS, LB, EB project field trials. B. Liedl, Gus R. Douglass Institute, Agricultural and Environmental Research Station West Virginia State Univ., Institute, WV; Cooperator on SLS, LB, EB project S. Rideout, Department of Plant Pathology, Virginia Tech - Eastern Shore AREC, Painter, VA; Cooperator on SLS, LB, EB project K. Ivors, Dept. of Plant Pathology, NCSU., Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Extention Center, 455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC Cooperator on SLS, LB, EB project TARGET AUDIENCES: One target audience are the national and international seed companies, which use the tomato germplasm produced by this program, as well as the methods developed by this program, to develop commercial tomato varieties with improved performance and disease resistance. This is a critical target audience, since seed companies must successfully incorporate new traits into their hybrids for the traits to become available to growers, and thereby benefit consumers. A second target audience are the US and international tomato growers, who will use the varieties resulting from the germplasm produced by this program. Tomato growers in temperate growing regions will use the varieties with resistance to Septoria Leaf Spot, early blight and late blight resulting from the germplasm produced, reducing their use of fungicides, to improve tomato production and quality, reduce risk of crop loss. A third target audience are Extension staff, who are trained in the yearly IN SERVICE training sessions, at which the results of this program are presented and discussed. A fourth set target audiences are rural agricultural communities and the rural environment, which benefit from reduction of chemical use when tomato diseases are controlled by genetic resistance, rather than chemical sprays. A fifth target audience are tomato consumers, who benefit from improved quality and availability of tomatoes as well as from reduction of chemical usage and thereby the reduction of risk of residue in food. Efforts Practicum experiences: the program is part of a practicum course providing graduate students outside of the program with opportunities for experience in vegetable breeding. Program also provided seed to a 4H program, which grew and marketed tomatoes and other vegetables to provide children participating with experience with growth, use, and marketing of a variety of vegetables, and considering the advantages of disease resistance in vegetables. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
IMPACT: CONTROL OF THREE FUNGAL DEFOLIATING DISEASES. Late blight, early blight, and Septoria leaf spot are three fungal diseases that defoliate tomato in moist temperate regions. Synthetic fungicides control these three diseases, however control fails when weather conditions favors the pathogens or interferes with spray programs. Genetic control of these diseases is needed to reduce use of fungicides. Some of the trials of the second summer season of hybrids possessing genetic control of late blight, early blight, and Septoria leaf spot were very successful. The trial in the Freeville NY organic farm was intended as a test of fruit quality. The fruit and yield analysis did show that most of the hybrids with genetic control of all three diseases had yield not significantly different than that that of commercial control hybrids and fruit sizes similar to that of moderate fruit size controls. Fruit weights of the Late blight/early blight/ Septoria leaf spot hybrids (141 to 174g) are moderate, ranging from that of Legend to midway between Legend and Mt Fresh. This plot suffered heavy natural disease. Ca. 80 to 95% of the identifiable lesions were caused by Septoria leaf spot rather than early blight, and no late blight was observed, so the bonus in this trial was that it provided, a rigorous examination of the control by heterozygous Septoria leaf spot resistance. The hybrid entries heterozygous for Septoria leaf spot had extremely mild symptoms, and susceptible controls were devastated. The early blight/ Septoria leaf spot susceptible control hybrids Legend and Mt Fresh plus had up to 94% defoliation by Aug.23rd, and Late blight/early blight hybrids had up to 88% defoliation. In contrast, the four Late blight/early blight/ Septoria leaf spot hybrids all had up to only 12% defoliation at this date. Clearly the heterozygous SLS resistance present in these hybrids was sufficient to substantially reduce defoliation. The Late blight/early blight/ Septoria leaf spot lines are now being used by several seed companies to transfer of these Late blight/early blight/ Septoria leaf spot genetic controls to proprietary lines and ultimately to new commercial hybrids. The Late blight/early blight/ Septoria leaf spot resistant hybrids, would be of use in both conventional and organic production, resulting in less risk of loss due to these three foliar fungal diseases, and allowing substantial reduction in use of fungicides.
Publications
- Mutschler, M.A., Zitter, S.M., DeJong, D, Zitter, T.A. and Ivors K. 2011. Performance of hybrids combining genetic control to early blight and late blight with and without resistance to Septoria leaf spot. (Online) http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/TDW/Abstracts/16%20Martha% 20MutschlerTDW_abstract_2011.pdf
- Zitter, T.A., Zitter, S.M., and Mutschler, M.A. 2011. Comparing the performance of early blight and Septoria leaf spot resistant materials in the presence and absence of fungicides. (Online) http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/TDW/Abstracts/17%20Tom%20Z itterTDW_abstract_2011.pdf
- Zitter, T.A., Zitter, S.M., Mutschler, M.A., and McKay, S.P. 2011. Using host resistance and reduced-risk fungicides to control early blight and Septoria leaf spot on tomato, 2010. Plant Disease Management Report (Online). Report 5:VO76. doi:10.1094/PDMR05.
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Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: OUTPUTS: TOMATO LINES WITH RESISTANCE TO LATE BLIGHT (LB) AND EARLY BLIGHT (EB) and SEPTORIA LEAF SPOT A series of 18 LB/EB/SLS resistant fresh market tomato lines were tested as lines and as hybrid parents. Six of these LB/EB fresh market tomato lines were selected and for release late in 2010. These six lines have fruit size equivalent to that of the commercial-grade inbred line used in their development. These are the first tomato lines released that have the SLS resistance, and also the first lines that have the combination of genetic controls to late blight, early blight, and Septoria leaf spot. The release of these lines will allow seed companies to transfer the combination of genetic controls of late blight, early blight, and Septoria leaf spot to their lines, and ultimately to new commercial hybrids for grower use. 1. The annual Vegetable Breeding Field Day was held in Ithaca NY late August 2010 for seed company breeders and other seed company representatives to view the current materials in the tomato program in field and greenhouse plantings, to see materials being released, and to discuss progress and future plans of the tomato breeding program. 2. Teleconference of all cooperators held the morning of Dec. 9th, 2010 to review results of all locations, and to plan for the coming seasons 3. Information on the progress of the tomato program and on materials being released is presented in written VBI annual reports provided to seed companies each January, along with instructions on how companies can submit requests for germplasm. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS: M. Mutschler (Professor and PI) Dept. of Plant Breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. S. Zitter, Post Doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Plant Breeding, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY Worked on the Septoria leaf spot program, and on the blight program. D. DeJong (Technician for Mutschler) Dept. of Plant Breeding, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY performs marker analysis on tomatoes for blight project, develops new markers for use in program. S. Southwich and C. Westerling (Technicians for Mutschler) Dept. of Plant Breeding, Cornell Univ., Both assist in tomato growth in greenhouse and field, in tomato disease screens, crossing to produce tomato seed, handling of tomato seed. COLLABORATORS: T. Zitter (Professor Dept. of Plant Pathology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY and CoPI on LB/EB/SLS project). C. Bornt Coop. Exten. Educator, Cornell Coop. Extension, Albany, NY, Assisting in SLS, LB, EB project field trials. B. Liedl, Gus R. Douglass Institute, Agricultural and Environmental Research Station West Virginia State Univ., Institute, WV; Cooperator on SLS, LB, EB project S. Rideout, Department of Plant Pathology, Virginia Tech - Eastern Shore AREC, Painter, VA; Cooperator on SLS, LB, EB project K. Ivors, Dept. of Plant Pathology, NCSU., Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Extention Center, 455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC Cooperator on SLS, LB, EB project TARGET AUDIENCES: TARGET AUDIENCES One target audience are the national and international seed companies, which use the tomato germplasm produced by this program, as well as the methods developed by this program, to develop commercial tomato varieties with improved performance and disease resistance. This is a critical target audience, since seed companies must successfully incorporate new traits into their hybrids for the traits to become available to growers, and thereby benefit consumers. A second target audience are the US and international tomato growers, who will use the varieties resulting from the germplasm produced by this program. Tomato growers in temperate growing regions will use the varieties with resistance to Septoria Leaf Spot, early blight and late blight resulting from the germplasm produced, reducing their use of fungicides, to improve tomato production and quality, reduce risk of crop loss. A third target audience are Extension staff, who are trained in the yearly IN SERVICE training sessions, at which the results of this program are presented and discussed. A fourth set target audiences are rural agricultural communities and the rural environment, which benefit from reduction of chemical use when tomato diseases are controlled by genetic resistance, rather than chemical sprays. A fifth target audience are tomato consumers, who benefit from improved quality and availability of tomatoes as well as from reduction of chemical usage and thereby the reduction of risk of residue in food. Efforts Practicum experiences: the program is part of a practicum course providing graduate students outside of the program with opportunities for experience in vegetable breeding. Internships: The program frequently has interns. An undergraduate summer intern from France (Daphne Bonduelle) was hosted in the tomato programs to gain experience spring of 2010. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
IMPACT: CONTROL OF THREE FUNGAL DEFOLIATING DISEASES. Late blight (LB), early blight (EB), and Septoria leaf spot (SLS) are three fungal diseases that defoliate tomato in moist temperate regions. Synthetic fungicides control EB, LB, and SLS, however control fails when weather conditions favors the pathogens or interferes with spray programs. Genetic control of these diseases is needed to reduce use of fungicides. Trials of the first summer season were very successful. At the one location that had good natural infestation by Late Blight, the entries homozygous for late blight resistance had no symptoms, the hybrid entries heterozygous for late blight control had extremely mild symptoms, and susceptible controls were devastated. At one location with good natural infestation by Septoria Leaf spot, the heterozygous resistant hybrids showed little disease while neighboring susceptible controls were heavily defoliated. Some of the hybrid created with early generation LB/EB/SLS resistant lines had fruit size and yield approaching that of commercial control hybrids, but the had fruit shape or other defects that would have to be corrected before LB/EB/SLS hybrids could be used commercially. The first tomato lines possessing genetic control to all three of these diseases are now being released to seed companies. These lines will be used by seed companies to transfer of these LB/EB/SLS genetic controls to proprietary lines and ultimately to new commercial hybrids. The LB/EB/SLS resistant hybrids, would be of use in both conventional and organic production, resulting in less risk of loss due to these three foliar fungal diseases, and allowing substantial reduction in use of fungicides.
Publications
- Zitter, T.A., Drennan, J.L., and Mutschler, M.A. 2010. Combination of genetic resistance, reduced-risk fungicides and Tom-Cast for tomato disease control. Phytopathology 100:S147. (Abstr.)
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