TYLCV-resistant Tomato Cultivar Trial and Whitefly Control Strategies

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) are common diseases of tomato in Florida. TYLCV occurs in central and southern Florida whereas TSWV occurs in northern Florida and throughout all states of the southeastern USA. TYLCVresistant cultivars and advanced breeder’s varieties are available for commercial use, but vegetable producers don’t often use them. A variety trial was conducted to compare yield and horticultural characteristics of TYLCV-resistant genotypes to that of the susceptible cultivar ‘Florida 47’. Thirteen entries were grown in a replicated trial during the 2006 winter-to-spring growing season at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. Whitefly populations were low until after first harvest and disease incidence was low throughout the duration of the study. ‘Florida 47’ and two entries from Abbott & Cobb exhibited disease incidences of 5% to 8%, indicating that these entries were not resistant genotypes. TYLCV was not detected among the other entries. HA 3075 (Hazera) produced the highest total yield of three harvests, though its total yield was similar to that of S-50257, VT-60774, and VT-60780 (Zeraim Gedera). HA 3075 was the only entry to produce significantly greater total yield than ‘Florida 47’. HA 3075 also produced the highest yield of 5x6s (extra large fruit), though yield of this size category was similar to that of ‘Florida 47’. BHN 745 (BHN Seeds) produced the largest average fruit size of 5x6s, at 9.4 oz/fruit, and this was similar to that of ‘Florida 47’ and ‘Tygress’ at 9.1 oz/fruit. S-50260 produced the highest percentage of cull fruit, though its percentage of cull fruit was similar to that of HA 3074, Fla 8477, and BHN 745. Defects of fruit of S-50260, S-50252, and Fla 8477 were mostly due to zipper scarring and catfacing. Based on marketable yield, cull categories, and size and shape of marketable fruit, TYLCV-resistant entries from this trial that could be recommended for observation in small blocks are HA 3075, S-50257, VT-60774, VT60780, and BHN 745.