Wageningen, The Netherlands
23 March 2010
Scientists of Plant Research International, part of Wageningen UR, have discovered the pathogen that causes the so-called ‘Chocolàte disease’. This is a third member of the new plant virus genus Torrado virus which is ravaging in tomato cultivation in Guatemala where it causes considerable economic damage. The new virus has been named ‘Tomato chocolàte virus’ because of the typical symptoms it causes in tomato: chocolate brown spots and rings on the fruits.
The Tomato chocolàte virus belongs to the same plant virus genus as that of Tomato torrado virus and Tomato marchitez virus, viruses earlier identified and described by scientists of Plant Research International.
The disease causes necrosis of the leaves of the tomato plant and characteristic chocolate-brown spots and rings on the fruits, which makes them unmarketable.
With the characteristics of this new virus being known, plant material can be tested for the presence of this pathogen. And new tomato varieties that are less susceptible or insusceptible to this virus can be developed.
The research has been carried out in close cooperation with the Vegetable Seeds Division of the Monsanto breeding company (formerly De Ruiter Seeds). Monsanto also financed the research.
The results of this research have recently been published in Archives of Virology: Tomato chocolàte virus: a new plant virus infecting tomato and a proposed member of the genus Torrado virus: http://www.springerlink.com/content/x4760017880223r1/fulltext.pdf
Photograph 1: Particles of the Tomato chocolate virus; photograph Plant Research International, Wageningen.
Photograph 2: Fruit symptoms of the Tomato chocolate virus; photograph Monsanto Vegetable Seeds Division, Bergschenhoek.
Plant Research International is part of the international knowledge organisation Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre). Wageningen UR’s mission is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’. Nine fundamental and applied research institutes, Wageningen University, and Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences join forces in Wageningen UR to contribute to the solution of major issues in the domain of healthy food and our living environment. With 40 locations (in the Netherlands, Brazil and China), 6500 employees and 10 000 students Wageningen UR is one of the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integrated approach of the topics and the collaboration between natural, technological and social disciplines are at the heart of the Wageningen Approach.
Topics
Species
