Field Screening of tomato breeding lines for improved resistance against Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV)

The tomato represents an extensively cultivated crop within tropical and subtropical regions of the world for their fresh market and processing attribute. However, its production frequently encounters substantial setbacks due to notable losses associated with diseases such as Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TyLCV). To address this challenge, the current study aimed to assess the resistance or susceptibility of selected 25 tomato breeding lines for TyLCV under natural field screenings to mimic real-world scenarios in accordance with the disease reaction score of Banerjee and Kalloo (1987). The field screening results showed that, the check Arka Vishes line demonstrated high resistance (HR) to TLCV, with reduced PDS, PDI values and a low coefficient of infection (CI). Several lines, including CBE SL 101, CBE SL 105, CBE SL 108, CBE SL 110, and CBE SL 114, exhibited a resistant (R) reaction, while others, such as CBE SL 102, CBE SL 107, CBE SL 112, CBE SL 120, and Arka Rakshak, displayed moderate resistance (MR). Conversely, lines CBE SL 103, CBE SL 104, CBE SL 106, CBE SL 109, CBE SL 111, CBE SL 115, CBE SL 117, and CBE SL 123 showed moderate susceptibility (MS), and the remaining lines, namely CBE SL 113, CBE SL 116, CBE SL 118, CBE SL 119, CBE SL 121, and CBE SL 122, were deemed susceptible to TLCV. The varying disease responses observed across these lines provide valuable insights into the complex dynamics of host-pathogen interactions in tomato plants, informing strategies for disease management and breeding efforts aimed at enhancing resistance to TLCV.