'HoneySweet' - a transgenic Plum Pox Virus resistant plum - from laboratory and experimental field plots, to regulatory approval

International audience; Over the past 20 years an intensive international research project has focused on the development of GE resistance to Plum pox virus (PPV), the causative agent of Sharka, one of the most destructive diseases of plum and other stone fruits. A result of this effort has been the development of 'HoneySweet' plum, a GE cultivar that has proven to be highly resistant to PPV, as demonstrated in over 15 years of study and field testing in the US and Europe. The efficacy and safety of 'HoneySweet' demonstrated in many laboratory, greenhouse and field studies have been validated through the successful regulatory approval of this PPV resistant GE plum cultivar in the US. The international collaborative program that produced 'HoneySweet' demonstrates the potential for publicly-fund research and development to provide safe, efficacious GE products for the benefit of growers and consumers. 'HoneySweet' plum represents a valuable genetic resource for PPV control in the US and in Europe.