Sixteen tomato cultivars obtained from the collections of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Samaru, Nigeria were screened for resistance to local strains of Tomato leaf curl virus at Samaru, Northern Guinea Savanna, over a two year period, 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 dry seasons. Five cultivars were moderately resistant, nine were moderately susceptible, while two were highly susceptible. Most of the cultivars were high yielding (46–55 t/ha) and had good fruit size (4.8–6.0 cm x 2.8–4.1 cm). They will be further evaluated on-farm at different locations after which they will be introduced to farmers to replace the low yielding and TLCV-susceptible cultivars currently in use in most parts of the Savanna ecological zones of the country.

Resistance genes in response to root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) infection suppress one or more of several critical steps in nematode parasitism and their reproduction rate. The reaction of seven commercial tomato genotypes to M. javanica infection was investigated under greenhouse conditions. Current results classified these genotypes as: three resistant (Jampakt, Malika and Nema Guard), one moderately resistant (Fayrouz), and three susceptible (Castle Rock, Super Marmande and Super Strain B). Except Nema Guard, nematode infection significantly reduced plant height, fresh and dry weights of shoots of the other tomato genotypes. Leaf area was significantly reduced for all examined tomato genotypes except Malika and Nema Guard. Total chlorophyll was reduced in all tested tomato genotypes except Jampakt. Infection parameters of M. javanica and their population were significantly reduced on all nematode-resistant tomato genotypes compared to the susceptible genotypes. Also, the maturation rate of M. javanica was suppressed in the resistant genotypes compared to the susceptible genotypes. These results were confirmed by histological study that illustrated a delay in nematode development and their maturation. Total phenolic content significantly increased in nematode infected roots of both resistant and susceptible genotypes except Malika. Among non-infected roots, Malika showed the highest level of total phenols while after M. javanica infection, Nema Guard revealed the highest level of total phenols. Among infected roots, the highest level of total phenols was recorded in Castle Rock. These results suggested that using nematode-resistant tomato genotypes could provide an efficient and nonpolluting method to control root-knot nematodes.

In this paper we present the first identification of the Tomato clack ring virus isolated from zucchini with mosaic and deformation of leaves in Poland. Immunosorbent electron microscopy, ELISA test and IC-RT-PCR confirmed the identification of TBRV. RNA extracted from purified virus (size about 7.4 kb and 4.6 kb) was characteristic to this virus.

The effect of crude extracts of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf, neem seed and garlic (Allium sativum) at concentrations ranging from 5% to 30% of the material in 100 ml of Potato Dextrose Agar on mycelial growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici was assessed. All the extracts inhibited mycellial growth at various levels. Dry neem seed extract gavel 100% inhibition of mycelial growth. Fresh neem leaf extract reduced mycelial growth with increasing concentration while in garlic there were no differences in growth inhibition among the various concentrations used. However garlic extracts decreased sporulation with increasing concentration and cultures grown on extract amended agar plates remained viable.

Tomato is an economically important vegetable crop which is attacked heavily by insect pests leading to reduction of yield and quality of the fruits. Field experiments were carried out to investigate the dissipation of methomyl (a common insecticide) used mainly on tomato fruits. LC-MS/MS coupled with the QuEChERS method were used for the determination of methomyl. The results showed that the recovery using matrix-matched standards ranged from 87.8 to 101.3%, with relative standard deviation of 2.5 to 7.5%. Kinetics equation, Log R = log R0 – 0.434 Kt, was used to calculate the rate of degradation in tomato, soil and water. Residue half-life calculated using kinetic rate ranged from 1.95 to 1.63 days in tomato and soil, respectively. From the results it was concluded that tomato fruits can be safely harvested for consumption after 15 days of application based on estimated preharvest interval (PHI). It is advisable to re-estimate the PHI regularly owing to data from the EU and Codex.

Black mold and green mold caused by Alternaria alternata and Penicillium digitatum, respectively, are the most important decay pathogens of tomato fruits during storage. Our research was aimed to control tomato phytopathogenic fungi A. alternata and P. digitatum in vitro and in vivo by using natural nanomaterials rosmarinic acid (RA-NPs) at concentrations of 0.3 and 0.6 mM, glycyrrhizic acid (GA-NPs) and glycyrrhizic acid ammounium salt (GAS-NPs) (0.1–0.2 mM). Characterizations of the tested nanoparticles were carried out by using dynamic light scattering which revealed that synthesized nanoparticles had particle sizes of less than 100 nm. In vitro studies revealed that the three tested nanoparticles reduced the growth of A. alternata and P. digitatum. Glycyrrhizic acid nanoparticles were the most effective in reducing the growth of the two tested pathogens followed by RA-NPs at 0.6 mM. Observations of A. alternata and P. digitatum by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed severe damage in the hyphae and deformities in the conidia due to the effect of the tested nanoparticles. In vivo results showed that, dipping tomato fruits as a post-harvest treatment in all of the tested nanoparticles at different concentrations, then stored at 10 ± 1°C and 90–95% relative humidity (RH) for 20 days greatly reduced the disease severity of infected fruits with the two tested pathogens. GA-NPs at 0.2 mM significantly reduced the development of black mold rot on tomato fruits. RA-NPs at 0.6 mM had the best effect in controlling P. digitatum of all naturally and artificially inoculated tomato fruits. Also, individual treatments of tomato fruits with RA-NPs, GA-NPs and GAS-NPs significantly reduced postharvest losses of fruit since they delayed decay and maintained fruit quality characteristics such as fruit firmness, titratable acidity and total soluble solids during cold storage.

Four tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) varieties commonly grown by tomato farmers in Tanzania were evaluated for resistance to bacterial speck (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato) and bacterial spot (Xanthomonas vesicatoria) diseases, along with five introductions under screenhouse and field conditions. The four tomato varieties were Cal J, Moneymaker, Tanya and Roma VF. Seeds of the tomato varieties were purchased from seed vendors in the open market. The introductions that were included in the study were Bravo, Taxman, Stampede (from Sakata-Mayford Seeds (Pty) Ltd, South Africa), Torquay and BSS436 (from Bejo Zaden B.V., The Netherlands). In the screenhouse, results indicated that all the tomato varieties were susceptible to the two diseases, and suffered moderate to severe infection levels. The performance of the introductions against bacterial speck under screenhouse conditions was variable. All the introductions showed high levels of susceptibility to bacterial spot. Under field conditions, incidence of the diseases was high in all the locally available varieties tested, averaging 87% for bacterial spot and 82.3% for bacterial speck. The results of this study indicate that all the locally available tomato varieties included in the study were highly susceptible to bacterial speck and bacterial spot diseases.

The full-length cDNA of LeTIR1 gene was isolated from tomato with EST-based in silico cloning followed by RACE amplification. LeTIR1 contained an open reading frame (ORF) 1872 bp long, encoding 624 amino acid residues. The predicted protein LeTIR1 had one F-box motif and eleven leucine-rich repeats (LRRs), all of which are highly conserved in TIR1 proteins of other plant species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the LeTIR1 protein shared high similarity with other known TIR1 proteins. Both sequence and phylogenetic analysis suggested that LeTIR1 is a TIR1 homologue and encodes an F-box protein in tomato. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR indicated that LeTIR1 was expressed constitutively in all organs tested, with higher expression in stem than root, leaf, flower and fruit. Its expression level was positively correlated with the auxin distribution in stem or axillary shoot, and was induced by spraying exogenous IAA.

Statistical analysis is helpful for better understanding of the processes which take place in agricultural ecosystems. Particular attention should be paid to the processes of crops’ productivity formation under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors. The goal of our study was to provide new theoretical knowledge about the dependence of vegetable crops’ productivity on water supply and heat income. The study was conducted in the irrigated conditions of the semi-arid cold Steppe zone on the fields of the Institute of Irrigated Agriculture of NAAS, Kherson, Ukraine. We studied the historical data of productivity of three most common in the region vegetable crops: potato, tomato, onion. The crops were cultivated by using the generally accepted in the region agrotechnology. Historical yielding and meteorological data of the period 1990–2016 were used to develop the models of the vegetable crops’ productivity. We used two approaches: development of pair linear models in three categories (“yield – water use”, “yield – sum of the effective air temperatures above 10°C”); development of complex linear regression models taking into account such factors as total water use, and temperature regime during the crops’ vegetation. Pair linear models of the crops’ productivity showed that the highest effect on the yields of potato and onion has the water use index (R2 of 0.9350 and 0.9689, respectively), and on the yield of tomato – temperature regime (R2 of 0.9573). The results of pair analysis were proved by the multiple regression analysis that revealed the same tendencies in the crop yield formation depending on the studied factors.

SDS-PAGE electrophoresis was used to study the effect of NaCl on protein expression in two cultivars of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.): Edkawi (salt-tolerant) and Castle rock (salt-sensitive). Five-day-old seedlings were grown on MS agar media supplemented with 0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 300 mM NaCl. Two days after treatment the seedlings were examined to determine the effect of salt on their growth and to relate that to protein banding variations. Gel analysis showed differences in at least 4 protein bands with molecular weights at 20, 25, 45 and 65 kDa. These proteins were induced in the 50 mM NaCl treatment in the salt-sensitive cultivar, then decreasing to undetectability at higher concentrations. In the salt-tolerant cultivar, most of the proteins exhibited a more or less steady expression pattern and maintained expression through the 200 mM NaCl treatment. All proteins gave weak or no expression signals at 300 mM NaCl, the treatment that proved lethal. Differentially expressed bands were identified using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The putative function of each identified protein in relation to salt stress is discussed.