Resistance to ToBRFV, an additional trait recognised in DUS studies of tomato varieties

Identified for the first time in 2014 in the Middle East and in France in 2020, the ToBRFV virus is the focus of intensive breeding work to provide solutions to protect vegetable growers against this virus, which can have a major impact on tomato production.

In the first half of 2024, at the request of GEVES and Naktuinbouw, in view of the significant number of morphologically similar varieties applying for registration, the CPVO has approved the use of the additional characteristic “Resistance to ToBRFV” in DUS studies of tomato varieties, and only when it is not possible to distinguish based on the other criteria. The resistance of tomato varieties to ToBRFV will be evaluated by biotest. All additional resistance tests (carried out solely within a regulatory framework) will be carried out by the GEVES pathology laboratory, which has acquired extensive experience of this pathosystem over the last 5 years.

This additional character is based on the preliminary work of the ToBRAg project. Supported by the CPVO and managed by GEVES, one of the aims of this project is to develop a laboratory protocol for evaluating varieties for resistance to ToBRFV.

In this way, for tomato varieties applying for registration in the Catalogue, this additional characteristic can also be used to issue a PVR based on resistance to ToBRFV.