Enhancing disease resistance in Canadian-adapted greenhouse tomato varieties - Vineland Research & Innovation Centre

The Background

Greenhouse tomato production is one of Ontario’s most valuable agricultural sectors. In 2022, 505 hectares of greenhouse tomatoes produced nearly 294 million kilograms of fruit.

The industry has seen steady and consistent growth — greenhouse acreage has increased 17% in the past five years and 31% over the last decade. The farm gate value reached nearly $555 million in 2022, up 38% since 2013.

Ontario also plays a leading role in Canada’s greenhouse sector, accounting for 70% of national production. More than half of Ontario’s greenhouse tomatoes are exported, primarily to the United States, with exports valued at $277 million in 2022.

However, this growth is under threat from several serious plant diseases.

Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) – the most concerning disease, capable of causing up to 70% crop loss under severe conditions.
Powdery mildew – can reduce yields by 20%.
Fusarium wilt – can also lead to losses of up to 70%.

A 2023 North American survey found that 45% of growers had experienced a significant ToBRFV outbreak, resulting in millions in lost revenue.

Currently, few effective control measures exist to stop the spread of ToBRFV or fusarium once a greenhouse becomes infected. Developing resistant cultivars is the most promising and sustainable solution — one that will strengthen the industry’s resilience, reduce annual crop losses, and protect the profitability of Ontario’s greenhouse operators.

The Goal

Develop high yielding, Canadian adapted greenhouse tomato varieties by enhancing their resistance to ToBRFV, powdery mildew and fusarium wilt using conventional breeding methods and molecular approaches.

The Objectives

Transfer and stabilize ToBRFV, powdery mildew and fusarium wilt resistance into Vineland’s Ontario-adapted greenhouse tomato hybrids.
Conduct extensive evaluations of these enhanced disease resistant tomato hybrids for agronomic performance, fruit quality, size, and yield.
Evaluate the potential agronomic penalties, if any, associated with the newly introduced disease resistance traits.

Increase Canadian tomato producers’ yield and profitability by providing them access to high performing, disease-resistant tomato varieties which will reduce crop losses to these pathogens, reduce costs associated with cultural and disease control methods, and reduce worker and environmental exposure to chemicals used to inactivate these pathogens.