Development and Release of Late Blight-Resistant Tomato Varieties ‘Meru’ and ‘Kiboko’

Abstract

Late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) De Bary is among the most economically important diseases of tomato. The use of host–plant resistance offers a potentially cost-effective and environmentally sound complementary disease management strategy for incorporation into tomato late blight integrated pest management (IPM). Late blight resistance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) was derived from S. pimpinellifolium and introgressed into highland-adapted tomato already resistant to Fusarium wilt, root-knot nematodes, tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) and tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). Evaluation and selection for durability of late blight resistance, yield, and other horticultural traits was done in a controlled environment at AVRDC, The World Vegetable Center headquarters in Shanhua, Taiwan, and under field conditions at the Regional Center for Africa in Arusha, Tanzania. Four lines were subjected to multilocational trials with a local check at 5 sites representing 4 agroecological zones. Two of the best performing lines with enduring resistance to late blight, LBR19-2 and LBR44-2, were released as new varieties in Tanzania under trade names ‘Meru’ and ‘Kiboko’ in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

Keywords:

• Solanum lycopersicon
• Phytophthora infestans
• Host–plant resistance
• Late blight
• Tanzania