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A prevailing opinion is that the strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that infects both plants and humans are two separate species. This study strongly disputes that notion until the modern molecular technology proves otherwise. This paper examines a spectrum of strains occurring in nature, their habitats, dissemination, their relationship to clinical strains, and the environmental conditions that favor their colonization of plants. The isolates were obtained from clinical specimens, plants, soil, and water. The identity of these strains was confirmed using pyocin typing and biochemical assays. The data reveal that agricultural soils, potted ornamental plants, hoses, fountains, and faucets frequently harbored P. aeruginosa. However, it was not commonly found in semi-arid areas, suggesting that moisture and high humidity is necessary for colonization and survival. Though found in soil, P. aeruginosa was seldom isolated on edible plant parts. The pathogenicity of various strains on plants was tested by inoculating vegetables, lettuce slices (Lactuca sativa L. "Great Lakes"), celery stalks (Apium graveolens L. var. Dulce], potato tuber slices (Solanum tuberosum L. "Whiterose"), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L. Mill), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), rutabaga (Brassica campestris L.), and carrot (Daucus carota L. var sativa). There was considerable variation in the strains' ability to cause rot, but no difference was observed between clinical isolates and others from agricultural fields, water, and soil. Two of the clinical isolates from burn patients, P. aeruginosa PA13 and PA14, exhibited the greatest virulence in causing rot in all the plants that were tested, especially on cucumber, lettuce, potato, and tomato. The study discusses how closely the epidemiology of P. aeruginosa relates to many plant pathogens, and the ability of human isolates to colonize plants and food material under favorable conditions. The biochemical and phenotypic similarity among strains from the clinical and agricultural material is strongly indicative that they are the same species and that plants and soil are natural reservoirs for P. aeruginosa.

Salicylic acid (SA) and polyamines (PA) are widely used to overcome various abiotic stresses including salt (NaCl) stress in plants. In the present investigation, co-application efficacies of SA and PA on the salt stress (200 mM NaCl) were evaluated in Lycopersicon esculentum. After transplantation, at 10-d stage, seedlings were exposed to NaCl through soil and then allowed to grow till 30-d stage. At 31-d stage of growth, plants were sprayed with double distilled water (control) or spermidine (1.0 mM) and/or SA (10–5 M). The salt stress significantly reduced the growth, gas-exchange parameters, but increased antioxidant enzymes and proline content in the leaves. Moreover, the loss caused by salt stress was successfully restored by the following treatment of spermidine and SA.

Choline monooxygenase (CMO) is a key enzyme involved in betaine synthesis and our preliminary work has shown that the SlCMO gene promoter (pC5: − 267 to + 128 base pair), cloned from Suaeda liaotungensis, is salt-inducible. In the present study, pC5-SlCMO was transferred into tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L. ‘Micro-Tom’) plants via Agrobacterium mediation. Homozygous transgenic plants were selected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The expression of SlCMO in pC5-SlCMO transgenic plants was induced by salinity. Under salt tolerance, betaine content, chlorophyll content, and net photosynthetic rate were higher in transgenic plants than in wild-type (WT) plants. Proline content was lower in transgenic plants than in WT plants. Under normal conditions, seed germination, length of the whole plant, dry weight, and fruit products of transgenic plants were the same as in WT plants. These results demonstrated that the pC5 promoter can drive increased expression of SlCMO in transgenic tomato plants under salt stress and increase salt tolerance without affecting plant growth and yield.

Salinity stress causing water deficit, nutrient deficiency, and ion imbalance for the crops has been reported to reduced crop growth, crop yield, and fruit quality in tomatoes. The main objective of this research were to determine the LC-50 of salinity, to evalute the response of six tomato genotypes to LC-50, and to study the effect of genotype and salinity stress on crop growth, crop yield, and fruit quality of tomatoes. The LC-50 of salinity was determinated by growing tomato seedlings at different level of saline solutions (0, 400, 500, 6000, 7000, 9000, 10000, 11000, and 12000 ppm of NaCl) and used the LC-50 of salinity to evaluate the salinity tolerance of six tomato genotypes. The results showed that the LC-50 of saline solution was 9000 ppm NaCl and genotype Empat G was found to be the most tolerant to salinity stress

The effect of edible cassava starch–chitosan coatings incorporated with rosemary pepper (Lippia sidoides Cham.) essential oil and pomegranate peel extract on the shelf-life of tomatoes during storage at 25 °C for 12 days was investigated. Sixteen formulations, containing 10 g L−1 cassava starch and various concentrations of chitosan (5, 10, 20, 30 g L−1), essential oil (0, 2.5, 5, 10 mL L−1) and pomegranate peel extract (0, 5, 10, 20 mL L−1) were prepared and applied to tomatoes. Physical–chemical and microbiological analyses were performed on days 1, 4, 8 and 12. Most of the coatings delayed the ripening of tomatoes, lowering the total soluble solids (38−44 g sucrose kg−1) and weight loss (93−128 g kg−1) and maintaining constant firmness compared to the uncoated tomatoes (45 g sucrose kg−1, 175 g kg−1) at 12 days of storage. Conversely, except red intensity (a*), which was higher for the uncoated samples, the colour parameters (L*, b*) of the coated and control tomatoes were similar at the end of storage. Uncoated and coated tomatoes showed no contamination during storage. The coatings showed potential to maintain the quality of tomatoes during storage at 25 °C for 12 days. In this context, tomatoes coated with the formulation comprising 10 g L−1 cassava starch, 10 g L−1 chitosan, 10 mL L−1 essential oil and 20 mL L−1 pomegranate peel extract showed the lowest weight loss and reduced total soluble solids content compared with uncoated ones.

In South Texas, most of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) crops are produced on plastic mulch due to the elevated temperatures and solar radiations. The study objectives were to; determine the suitable planting dates for increasing tomato varieties production under different planting dates in early spring and late winter, and evaluate the influence of using the plastic mulch (black and white. In the Spring season, nine tomato varieties (four rounds and five roma) were grown. The round varieties were the Torero, Mykonos, Shourouq, and TAM Hot-Ty, and the roma varieties were Prunus, Rio Grande, Seri, DRP-8551, and SV8579TE. The best five varieties from the spring season and two more varieties were selected for evaluation in the fall including; SV8579ET, Mykonos, DRP-8551, TAM-HOT-T4, Shourouq, Tycoon, and Everglade. All the tomato varieties were evaluated during the Spring season under three different planting dates (from late-February till late-March) and three mulching treatments (black, white plastic mulch, and bare soil); and during the fall season during two planting dates (from early to mid-September) and two mulching treatments (black and white plastic mulch). Higher average marketable yields were observed in the spring season than the fall season. The best varieties during the spring season were DRP-8551, SV8597TE, Shourouq, and Seri with yields ranging from 68,630 to 57,237 kg/ha, whereas the best varieties in the fall; were DRP-8551, SV8597TE, and Tycoon with yields ranging from 47,123 to 60,674 kg/ha. In both seasons, white plastic mulch resulted in higher yields compared to the black and bare tomato yields. Key words: Planting dates, plastic mulch, tomato yield.

Background and objectives Quality of vegetable and fruit crops play an important role for economical use of resources by the consumers. Among the various vegetable crops, tomato is used in different forms such as fresh and for the preparation of different byproducts. The main objective of this study was to carry out line and tester analysis of heterosis and combing ability of tomato fruit traits. Materials and methods The present study was carried at Agricultural and Veterinary Training and Research Station, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia during 2012 and 2014. The experimental material consisted of F1 population developed by crossing five lines of tomato viz., K10 (L1), TY197 (L2), RAM2 (L3), S. Mar (L4) and Lian (L5) with 2 testers, namely Sultan7 (T1) and Castle Rock (T2) manually. The experiment was laid out by following the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Results The cross 1×4 proved the best for fruit length, diameter, firmness and weight; 1×7 for number of locales; 2×4 for TSS and the lowest fruit thickness over mid-parents. The variance values of general combining ability (GCA) were higher than the specific combining ability (SCA) for all the traits except the fruit thickness. While, additive and none additive components were similar in fruit thickness. Conclusion The SCA effects showed that the cross 1×4 was the best in fruit weight, 1×6 in firmness, 2×3 in fruit diameter and weight, 2×5 in number of locales, 2×6 in fruit thickness and 2×7 in TSS. The magnitude of additive variance was more pronounced for all the seven characters of interest of fruit quality both when F = 0 and F = 1 except for fruit thickness. The presence of excess additive variance was confirmed by the study results for most of the investigated traits of tomato crop. The study findings indicated the improved lines and testers for histerosis analysis for cross pollination to obtain improved tomato high quality and high yielding cultivars.

The experiment was conducted field inside the greenhouse at the nursery Baquba new under the Directorate of Agriculture Diyala during the agricultural season 2010-2011, to study the effect of three levels of organic fertilization (poultry manure quantity of 3 kg/m ², and composting the Humobacter quantity of 0.5 kg / m ², and without fertilization) and two types methods of training (on one leg and legs) on the three genotypes (hybrids) of a tomato (Margreat, Dafnis and Tyrmes). Experiment carried out in accordance with the split - split adesign (SSP) in the RCBD system with three replications. Tested the moral differences between the averages according to LSD less significant difference between the averages and the level of probability of 0.5. The study proved the superiority plants Margreat on one leg and fertilized with poultry highest average fruit weight was 172.7 g. While recorded plants Tyrmes on two legs and fertilized Humobacter the highest rate for the number of fruits amounted to 73.65 fruit / plant, also gave the plants the same product was fertilized with poultry and on two legs higher quotient per plant was 8.67 kg, while outperformed plants Dafnis reared on one leg The fertilized with Humobacter highest hardness of fruits amounted to 10.60 kg /cm ². While the fruits of plants characterized Tyrmes on one leg and fertilized with Humobacter the highest proportion of the TSS Amounted to 6.27%.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is processed into different products including tomato sauce. The aim of this study was to determine the quality attributes of homemade tomato sauce during storage at 6 and 30°C for 8 weeks. At 4 weeks, there were no significant changes in sensory attributes during storage at both 6 and 30°C. There were significant differences (PE‚0.05) of sensory attributes after 6 weeks. Sauce stored at 30°C had higher microbial load than at 6°C. Both sensory mean scores and pH were inversely related to microbial growth. Therefore, the shelf-life of homemade tomato sauce could be increased at low temperature (6°C). Key words: Homemade tomato sauce, storage temperatures, sensory, attributes.

Background Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.), soil-borne diseases and weeds seriously reduce the commercial yield of tomatoes grown under protected cultivation in China. Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a natural product obtained from damaged Brassica tissues, was evaluated as a potential replacement for the fumigant methyl bromide (MB) for use in the greenhouse production of tomatoes in China. Results The dose-response assay indicates that AITC has high biological activity against major bacterial and fungal pathogens (EC50 of 0.225-4.199 mg L-1 ). The bioassay results indicate that AITC has good efficacy against root-knot nematodes (LC50 of 18.046 mg kg-1 ), and moderate efficacy against fungal pathogens (LC50 of 27.999-29.497 mg kg-1 ) and weeds (LC50 of 17.300-47.660 mg kg-1 ). The potting test indicates that AITC significantly improved plant vigor. Field trials indicate that AITC showed good efficacy against Meloidogyne spp. and Fusarium spp. (both ∼ 80%) as well as Phytophthora spp. and Pythium spp. (both ∼ 70%), and improved plant vigor and marketable yield. Conclusion AITC used as a soil fumigant (30-50 g m-2 ) effectively controlled major bacterial and fungal pathogens, root-knot nematode, weeds and increased plant vigor, yield and farmers' income in tomato cultivated under protected agriculture in China. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

The YABBY1 genes were identified in one cultivated and ten wild tomato species of the Lycopersicon section of the Solanum genus. The structural analysis of genes and encoded proteins was carried out, and the YABBY1 interspecies functional conservation in tomato was proposed. It was shown that the YABBY1 gene sequence can be used for phylogenetic dividing of tomatoes into self- and cross-pollinated species, as well as green- and red-fruited species. The significant YABBY1 expression level was detected in S. peruvianum fruits, indicating the possibility of abaxial properties preservation in the fruit skin. The obtained data confirmed the conservation of the YABBY1-mediated organ polarity control during the process of the evolutionary diversification and domestication of tomato species.

Landraces contains useful genes which can be tapped to advance breeding programmes. Their genetic potentials are only discovered when evaluated over time and space along with elite candidates. In this study, seven tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) landraces were evaluated along with Cal-J (an improved tomato variety) in a randomized complete block design for two years at the National Horticultural Crop Research Institute, Ibadan, Nigeria. The eight cultivars showed significant (P ≥ 0.05) variation in mean performances for ten quantitative traits; with consistent and significant (P ≥ 0.05) outperformances by USI/2/15 (a landrace) over other genotypes. Broadsense heritability was highest (84%) in plant height and least (30%) in leaf width. The genotypic proportion of the phenotypic coefficient of variation was highest (95%) in fruit weight while the highest (7.11) repeatability was observed in fruit width. Fruit length and width exhibited positive and significant (P ≥ 0.05) correlations with the other characters. Plant height, number of branches, leaf length and fruit width were identified to be most discriminatory among the genotypes at P ≥ 0.05. Cal-J, USI/3/15 and USI/7/15 were most similar, with mean similarity coefficient of 0.911. The most distant genotypes (USI/1/15 and USI/2/15) had a similarity value of 0.01. USI/3/15 and USI/5/15 showed high stability for fruit length; however, USI/5/15 further depicted high stability for fruit width. Both genotypes had bi = 1 and S2di with minimum deviation from regression. The eight genotypes were distinct. They can serve as useful genetic resources for tomato vigour and yield improvement through breeding.

Stigmasterol, bergapten, and α-tomatine were isolated from tomato roots. The preliminary phytotoxic activities of stigmasterol and α-tomatine were evaluated in a wheat-coleoptile bioassay, and α-tomatine was more active than stigmasterol. To confirm its phytotoxic activity, α-tomatine was tested on Lactuca sativa and two weeds ( Lolium perenne and Echinochloa crus-galli), and it was active in all cases. The stimulatory activities of α-tomatine and stigmasterol on parasitic-plant germination were also evaluated, and α-tomatine was found to be active on Phelipanche ramosa, a parasitic plant of tomato. α-Tomatine was identified in root exudates by LC-MS/MS. This confirms that α-tomatine is exuded by roots into the environment, where it could act as both an allelochemical and a stimulator of P. ramosa, a parasitic plant of tomato.

This experiment was conducted in faculty of Science labs, Kufa University, carried out during 2015 to applied methods for extraction, purification and Quantitative of Lycopene red pigments, from callus tissue and tomato fruits mother plant (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill).This study include of three parts, Firstly; Tomato seeds(Supper queen) hybrid were germinated in free MS medium and callus induction from shoot tip (3cmpieces) by using MS medium supplemented with Dichlorophenoxiactic acid (2,4-D) at different concentration (0.5,1, 1.5mg/l)with benzyl adenine (BA) at concentration of (0.3 mg/l). Secondly; identically callus fresh weight re-cultured in the same MS medium supplemented with high molecular weight polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used as selective agent at level of (5,10,15 and 25%). Thirdly; comparisons study were made between in vitro and in vivo grown plant. Powder of control lycopene used as standard solution. The content of lycopene was done by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and compare of the quantitatively of lycopene with these content in fruits of mother plant, and callus tissue. Also, include alcohol extraction of Lycopene from tomato fruit by using acetone and hexane mixture. The result showed significant increased (P< 0.05) of lycopene production and the superiority of lycopene content in callus than the content in fruits of mother plant. Antioxidant enzymes activity like Catalase (CAT),Guaiacol peroxidise (POX) and Superoxide dismutase(SOD) were high in callus under drought stress than in fruit of mother plant. However, Proline and total sugar content were at higher levels in callus under drought stress than in fruit of mother plant.

The snake tomato (Trichosanthes cucumerina L.) is a member of the botanical family Cucurbitaceae. The crop regarded as a substitute to the regular tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum (L.) Mill.) has not been well researched and there is a need to develop agronomic practices suitable for its cultivation. It was therefore the objective of this work to evaluate the performances of the crop when applied with different fertilizer types/rates and to determine the optimum fertilizer requirement. Field experiments were therefore conducted in Abeokuta in 2007 and 2008 to determine the growth, fruit quality/yield and plant nutrient uptake in responses to fertilizer types/rates. The treatments included two cropping seasons and organo-mineral fertilizer (OMF) rates applied at 5, 10, 20 and 40 t ha-1 where both zero application and NPK 15:15:15 served as the control. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The result indicated that 40 t ha-1 OMF rates was significant higher in P, K, Ca and Mg, but lower in Zn and recorded higher dry weight but was not different from 20 t ha-1 OMF in fresh weight plant biomass and in yield components. The NPK treatment was however lower compared to plants treated with 10, 20 and 40 t ha-1 OMF in total, vine, leaf and root fresh weight but not different from 10 t ha-1 OMF in root fresh weight. Despite that sugar was higher in 10 t ha-1 OMF, the zero application was higher in ascorbic acid and starch compared to lower or higher OMF rates. The increased inorganic content at higher OMF rates and probably the higher micro-nutrient contents could have resulted in reduced fruit quality with the lower ascorbic acid level.

To investigate the responses to Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea) infection and the effects of exogenous Ca2+ on calmodulin (CaM), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis and concentrations, we investigated the role of exogenous calcium in defense and resistance to the necrotrophic fungus B. cinerea in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Specifically, 7.5 mM Ca2+ was the best treatment for plant resistance, resulting in stable and permanent resistance to the pathogen. This treatment improved plant resistance and the results also confirmed that the concentrations of CaM and SA are negatively correlated with the resistance response.

The prevalence of Anthracnose disease, which is caused by a number of Colletotrichum spp., takes its toll on the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and poses a significant economic constraint on its production. Successful efforts towards controlling this organism remain a deficient task. Rhus coriaria fruit extracts were subjected to screening, in vitro and in vivo, for antifungal activities. Under light and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), the crude extract’s effect on the morphological structures of hyphae underwent an observation and study. Experimental results surfaced proofs that acetone, aqueous, methanol, and ethanol extracts have fungicidal properties on C. acutatum (GenBank accession No. KT215296) growth, which multiplied when extract concentrations were higher. Observations from scanning electron microscope showed that active extracts led to hyphal degradation where the hyphae were retarded. Tomato plants and fruits, which were treated with aqueous extracts, have been observed to have a significantly lower disease incidence, index, and severity. The anthracnose incidence in fruits that were coated with aqueous extract exhibited a maximum reduction with severity scores consistently at (0%). Aqueous extract in the glass house test significantly reduced the total area ‎under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) and disease severity in the studied disease. The shoot height, root length, dry shoot height, dry root length, chlorophyll content and leaf surface area significantly improved and increased with these treatments. The results indicate that R. coriaria extract can be judged as a cost effective and eco-friendly replacement to chemical fungicides in the management of tomato anthracnose disease.

Cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicon var cerasiforme) is small size fruits, with a bright red colour resembling to cherry and becoming popular in the retail chains which are marketed at a premium price. The field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different (35, 50 and 75 per cent) shading intensities on growth and yield (qha-1 ) of cherry tomato. Significantly maximum yield was recorded in 35 per cent shading intensity and genotype Kalash Seeds Product (KSP)-113 (579.44 and 503.88 q ha-1 , respectively). Among the different shading intensities and genotypes, maximum plant height was observed in 75 per cent shading intensity and genotype KSP -113 at 30 days interval (74.70 and 60.95 cm, respectively). The minimum days to 50% flowering of cherry tomato were observed in cherry tomatoes grown under 35 per cent shading intensity (45.00 days) as compared to other shading intensities while minimum days to 50% flowering were observed in genotype KSP-113 (44.00 days). The maximum length of the cluster (9.58 cm), the weight of cluster (27.67 g), number of fruits per cluster (9.42) and number of pickings (11.67) were observed in 35 per cent shading intensities and in genotype KSP-113. The cultivation of KSP-113 genotype under 35 per cent shading intensity was found to be most sustainable for improving growth and yield of cherry tomato during the summer season.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is one of the most widely cultivated and extensively consumed horticultural crops in Ethiopia. Tomato has a limited shelf life at ambient conditions, is highly perishable fruit and it changes continuously after harvesting. There are many postharvest technologies that extend the marketable life of fruits and vegetables. The study was to evaluate the effect of packing materials on shelf-life and quality of tomato fruit at Samara, Northeastern rift valley of Ethiopia. Three types of packaging material were taken, that is, low density perforated and non-perforated polyethylene bag, carton and without packaging as a control. Physiological weight loss, decay percentage, color score, overall acceptability and percentage marketability were assessed for every three days of storage. The result revealed that packaging had a significant effect on physiological weight loss, decay percentage, color score, overall acceptability and marketability. The lowest physiological weight loss of 0.29 and 1.72% was recorded from non-perforated polyethylene bag at 3 and 6 days of storage, respectively; further increase in the storage period with the lowest physiological weight loss (24.57%) was recorded from perforate polyethylene bag. Moreover, the lowest (0.00%) decay percentage and the highest (60%) marketability were recorded from perforated polyethylene bag on day 9 of storage. Decay loss of tomato fruits at the end of storage was much (60%) higher on non-perforated polyethylene bag than the perforated and carton (0.00%). Color and overall acceptability score of tomato fruit was also maximum on perforated polyethylene bag and the lowest was obtained from control treatment at the end of storage. It can, thus, be concluded that packaging of tomato fruits in perforated polyethylene bags resulted in extending storage-life with better-quality of the produce in samara area. Key words: Tomato fruit, packaging material, storage life, quality.

The development of production technologies, such as greenhouses, was highlighted in the growth of horticultural crops. However, these products are often offered without basic instructions to farmers who can generate financial losses. One outstanding production technology is substrate cultivation, which would be very useful in the cultivation of protected plants. Like this, in order to evaluate the effects of different doses of phosphorus on the production of tomato groups grown in substrate under greenhouse conditions, a randomized complete block design was used in a 2 x 5 factorial scheme, with two tomato groups: Santa Cruz "Debora Max" and Cherry "Coco" x five rates of P2O5 (0; 33; 66; 99 and 132 g; 10 L of nutrient solution) with four replicates. The results showed that the electrical conductivity inside the Slabs is not homogeneous, being recommended to wet the substrate inside the slabs, before the planting to reduce the electrical conductivity. In relation to phosphorus efficiency, the highest tomato yield was for the 6.6 g L-1 phosphorus dose for the two Santa Cruz and Cherry groups. The main advantage of using slabs in tomatoes is the efficiency of the phosphorus used in the first planting. Key words: Lycopersicon esculentum, substrate, slabs, phosphorus, fertilization.

Plant acid invertases are considered to be the key enzymes in sucrose unloading and carbohydrate supply to sink tissues. Acid cell-wall invertases control sucrose transport via the apoplastic pathway during sink initiation and expansion. In this study, we identified 12 LIN7 gene homologs encoding cell-wall invertases in red- and green-fruited tomato accessions (Solanum section Lycopersicon) of self-compatible and self-incompatible species. All genes consisted of six exons and five introns, including highly conserved 9-bp exon II. Identification of 226 exonic single nucleotide polymorphisms as well as extremely high intron variability indicates a significant interspecific divergence among the examined tomato accessions. Computational prediction revealed protein structure typical for the glycosyl hydrolase family 32 and conserved catalytic sites described for other plant cell-wall invertases. LIN7 expression in mature buds and flowers confirms LIN7 role in the development of pollen tubes and grains. The variability in gene and protein sequences and species-specific differences in LIN7 expression patterns may be responsible for putative functional divergence of invertases. Furthermore, we performed phylogenetic analysis of the Solanum section Lycopersicon species based on the LIN7 gene, which clearly divided the analyzed tomato accessions into two main clusters corresponding to self-compatible and self-incompatible species and was in agreement with the separation into red- and green-fruited plants. Given that LIN7 plays an essential role in tomato fertility and fruit ripening, the characterization of protein variability within species of section Lycopersicon may be useful to evaluate the potential application of the encoding genes for tomato breeding programs.

During October 2014, unfamiliar mild mosaic and mottling symptoms were identified on leaves of pepper (Capsicum chinense cv. Habanero) seedlings grown in the Arava valley in Israel 2–3 weeks post planting. Symptomatic plants were tested positive by ELISA using laboratory-produced antisera for tobamovirus species. Typical tobamovirus rod-shaped morphology was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of purified virion preparation that was used for mechanical inoculation of laboratory test plants for the completion of Koch’s postulates. The complete viral genome was sequenced from small interfering RNA purified from symptomatic pepper leaves and fruits by next-generation sequencing (NGS) using Illumina MiSeq platform. The contigs generated by the assembly covered 80% of the viral genome. RT-PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing were employed in order to validate the sequence generated by NGS technology. The nucleotide sequence of the complete viral genome was 99% identical to the complete genome of Paprika mild mottle virus isolate from Japan (PaMMV-J), and the deduced amino acid sequence was 99% identical to PaMMV-J protein. Amplicons from seed RNA showed 100% identity to the viral isolate from the collected symptomatic pepper plants. Partial host range analysis revealed a slow development of systemic infection in inoculated tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum). Interestingly, double inoculation of susceptible wild-type tomato plants and Tm-22-resistant tomato plants with the PaMMV-IL and Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) resulted in accelerated viral expression in the plants.

To elucidate the physiological, biochemical and hormonal mechanisms of chilling stress mitigated by drought pretreatment, tomato seedlings (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. C.H Falat) were pretreated by 0, 10 and 20% Polyethylene glycol (PEG) for 7 days followed by subjecting to chilling stress at 3 °C for 6 days and 6 h per day. Results showed that PEG-induced drought improved growth rate of tomato seedling subjected to chilling stress and enhanced their antioxidant enzyme activity, abscisic acid (ABA), anthocyanin accumulation, potassium (K+) and proline content compared with the control (0% PEG) at the end of chilling stress period. PEG pretreatment provided significant protection against chilling stress and reduced poly phenol oxidase (PPO) activity, electrolyte leakage (EL) and H2O2 content in root and leaf of chilled seedlings. Moreover, when PEG pretreatment was applied with chilling stress, we observed an alleviation in the growth impeding and a decrease in chilling symptoms as compared to control seedlings. The highest chilling tolerance was induced by application 20% of PEG. In general, the results indicate that PEG-induced drought, by altering in some tolerant responses, could be effectively used to protect tomato’s seedling from the adverse effects of low temperatures stress.

Competition of 31 tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) cultivars with Amaranthus retroflexus and Chenopodium murale was investigated at different growing periods under natural conditions, Universi...

Effects of VC application on tomato production and media properties can last for the third successive season, which was verified in this study to evaluate effects of VC application on growth, produ...

Assessment of genetic diversity in any crop species provides a basis for devising future strategies for crop improvement; conservation and sustainable use. An experiment consisting of 24 genotypes of Tomato was conducted during the year 2016 at the Research Farm and Molecular Biology Laboratory of School of Biotechnology, SKUAST-J, Chatha. The experiment was conducted in Randomised Block Design (RBD) with three replications in 2 rows of 5m length with spacing of 45 x 90 cm. The extent of genetic divergence /relatedness was estimated among 24 genotypes by using 11 traits viz. plant height (cm), number of branches, number of fruits per bunch, total soluble solids, flesh thickness (mm), number of locules, fruit width (cm), fruit length (cm), yield per plant (g), average fruit weight (g), number of fruits per plant. The maximum number of fruits/bunch was recorded in “Utkal Pragyan” (3.66) and the minimum number was recorded in “Swarna Sampada” (2.03). Maximum TSS(%) was recorded in DCT-1 (8.06%) and minimum TSS was recorded in “Dhanshri” (2.83%). Maximum number of fruits and yield/plant was recorded in “DCT-1” (115.33) and “Hisar Lalit” (2507.36g), respectively. The minimum number of fruits and yield/ plant was recorded in “NDT-4” (23.20) and “DCT-1” (861.40g), respectively.Mean data revealed high range for most of studied traits. Hierarchical cluster analysis allowed the assessment of similarity and clarified some of the relationships among tomato genotypes. UPGMA produced a dendrogram with two main clusters with further sub clusters. Of all the studied 24 genotypes Anand tomato and Hisar lalit were found to be most dissimilar based on UPGMA clustering. Hisar lalit was found to be most promising variety among all the genotypes for most of the traits under study, which can be used for further breeding and crop improvement programmes.

Molecular characterisation of local tomato cultivars – Ibadan Local (IbL), Ife and JM94/46 (JM) were assessed using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Out of ten SSR primer pairs used, three primer pairs were able to differentiate amplified genomic DNA of the cultivars. Unweighted Pair Group Method Using Arithmetic Average (UPGMA) cluster analysis of the data showed a close relationship between IbL and Ife with a genetic distance (GD) of 0.067; Ife and JM had GD of 0.2 and JM and Ife had GD of 0.25.

The cotton mealybug,Phenacoccus solenopsisTinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is an invasive pest of cotton, apart from several other important crops, and poses a serious threat to agricultural economy all over the world. Studies on the biology and population growth parameters ofP. solenopsison the five most preferred host plants, namely cotton (Gossypium hirsutumL.) (Malvaceae), China rose (Hibiscus rosa-sinensisL.) (Malvaceae), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentumMill.) (Solanaceae), congress grass (Parthenium hysterophorusL.) (Asteraceae) and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus(L.) Moench) (Malvaceae) were undertaken in the laboratory under controlled temperature and relative humidity. The mean cumulative development time of females was 16.61 days on cotton, 14.16 days on China rose, 14.13 days on okra, 14.00 days on tomato and 13.57 days on congress grass. The longest oviposition period was recorded on cotton (15.20 ± 1.87 days), while it was in the range of 9-10 days in the remaining host plants. Females lived longer (27.40 ± 1.76 days) when reared on cotton, while their life was shortest on tomato (14.60 ± 0.96 days). The highest fecundity was observed on cotton (328.30 ± 23.42), whereas it was found to be in the range 178-212 on the other hosts. The survival frequency from crawler to adult in females was highest on cotton (27.53%), while it was the lowest on tomato (15.87%). The highest net reproductive rate (284.3 females/female/generation), mean length of a generation (31.24 days), and intrinsic rate of increase (0.19 day−1) were recorded on cotton. The finite rate of increase was in the range of 1.18-1.20 (females/female/day) for all the selected host plants. The weekly multiplication rate was highest on China rose and congress grass (3.78), while it was the least on tomato (3.28). The corrected generation time was dissimilar in all the selected host plants, being highest on cotton (31.39 days) and the least on congress grass (27.71 days). The doubling time was shortest on congress grass (3.61 days), while it was longest on tomato (4.11 days). Hence, the host plant species significantly affects population growth ofP. solenopsis.

Endophytic bacteria are part of the plant microbiome, which can promote the growth of plants and act as biocontrol agents against potential phytopathogens through various mechanisms, including the production of volatile compounds. In this work, we isolated and characterized two new bacterial endophytes, strains E25 and CR71, that exhibited antifungal activity and plant growth promotion. Analysis of the complete 16S ribosomal gene sequences of the strains showed high species-level identity (99%) with Pseudomonas stutzeri (E25) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (CR71). In in vitro assays, both strains showed excellent antagonistic action against Botrytis cinerea by emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but not through diffusible compounds. Interestingly, the volatile cocktails emitted by E25 and CR71 were quite similar, highlighting the production of sulphur-containing compounds such as the antimicrobial volatile dimethyl disulphide (DMDS). Analysis of the pure DMDS compound showed mycelial inhibitory activity against the fungal strain. In a greenhouse experiment, inoculation of strains promoted the shoot and root length, chlorophyll content, and total fresh weight of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum cv Saladette). Interestingly, when strains were co-inoculated, a better plant growth-promoting effect was observed. In conclusion, the co-inoculation of novel endophytic strains reported herein represents an excellent option to promote growth and achieve the biocontrol of B. cinerea through the production of potent volatiles such as DMDS.

This study was carried out to examine the impact of liquid organic fertilizer Ergonfill (LFE) on the yield and quality of cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Sakura F1) under different growth conditions. The experiment was set up in a randomized blocks design with four variants in three replications. Experiment variants were as follows: drought-stressed seedlings with and without LFE treatment, and non-stressed seedlings with and without LFE treatment. Exposure of cherry tomato seedlings to controlled water stress conditions significantly increased fruit quality parameters (total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, lycopene, total phenolic and flavonoids, total antioxidant capacity), but decreased yield. LFE treatment significantly increased by the all examined parameters under normal growth conditions as compared to untreated plants, and for total phenolic and flavonoids content, total antioxidant capacity and total soluble solids this increase was statistically significant. Positive impact of the LFE application on cherry tomato quality is result of fertilizer composition, as well as ability of cherry tomato plants to use bioactive substances in fertilizer for its growth and development.

While arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi may have a prominent role in trophic ecology, mycorrhizal improvement or reduction on herbivore growth and survival may also be dependent on herbivore’s stage of development. Solanum lycopersicon (tomato) was grown on sterile background soil treated with either mycorrhizal inoculant (AM+) or non-mycorrhizal control (AM−). Mycorrhizal treatments included four single species of AM-fungi (Entrophospora infrequens, Funneliformis mosseae, Claroideoglomus claroideum, and Racocetra fulgida) and a mixture of all four species (fungal community). To determine if mycorrhizal treatment indirectly alters the ability of beetle larvae (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) to access plant resources, plant damage and trichome density were quantified as plants were infested with a single neonate (early-stage) for 96 hours (h). In a second experiment, beetle growth rate was assessed as plants were infested with a single third-instar (late-stage). After 72 h of late-stage beetle infestation, beetle mass was measured. It was found that early-stage beetles inflicted more damage on AM+ tomatoes. Interestingly, this corresponds with fewer trichomes on AM+ tomatoes, as well as higher early-stage beetle survivorship. Specifically, AM taxon, C. claroideum increases herbivory and thereby reduces beetle mortality. Among late-stage beetles, C. claroideum does not improve beetle growth nor rate of survival. This suggests that AM taxa that are beneficial to early-stage beetles may not necessarily provide an advantage to late-stage beetles. Taken together, these findings highlight potential dependencies of AM-fungal effects on herbivory and herbivore life history, including growth and life-stage specific survival.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is native to Peru and Mexico. It is an important vegetable crop of the world, which ranks next to potato in importance. In addition, tomato is one of the most widel...