A new Texas A&M research tool may help plant breeders develop tomato and pepper varieties with stronger resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus.
Researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife Research have developed a new tool that could accelerate the development of tomato and pepper varieties resistant to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), a disease that causes significant crop losses and can contribute to higher produce prices.
A research team led by Jeanmarie Verchot, Ph.D., a professor in the Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, created the first infectious clone of TSWV developed by U.S. researchers.
The breakthrough gives scientists a more efficient way to study the virus and investigate genetic traits that could help crops withstand infection.
The findings were published in the scientific paper, “A Novel Approach to Engineering Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Infectious Clones by Disarming Key Nodes in Anti-Viral Defenses,” in Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, a publication of the American Phytopathological Society.
The new technology allows Verchot’s team to generate an unlimited supply of the virus and inoculate research plants more efficiently. This could help pepper breeders identify useful virus-resistant genetics more quickly and move promising varieties toward commercial production.
“Crop producers are very familiar with this virus, and we are excited that this discovery opens the door for impactful solutions to a major production challenge for them,” Verchot said.
“By making technology tools that breeders can use to speed new variety development, we hope to see a simple ripple-effect where peppers, tomatoes and other produce are more abundant and cost less in grocery stores nationally,” Verchot added.
TSWV is spread by tiny insects known as thrips. These insects can move among fields and travel into growing regions through wind systems.
The virus affects more than 1,000 vegetable, produce and ornamental plant varieties worldwide. Infected plants can produce lower yields, while damaged crops may become unmarketable.
The USDA Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program estimates that TSWV causes approximately $100 million in crop damage annually in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Although growers have used TSWV-resistant varieties, emerging virus strains can overcome existing plant immunity. Researchers are therefore studying the genetic differences among strains to better understand disease severity and transmission.
Verchot’s team created a full-length DNA copy of the genome from a pepper-infecting TSWV isolate. The clone can generate infectious virus that behaves like the original strain.
“This clone allows all U.S. researchers the same starting point, providing a more efficient tool for identifying the virus in crops and for creating disease management practices,” said Haden Ball, Verchot’s graduate student.
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