Tomato varietals are notoriously sensitive plants requiring plenty of water and exact conditions to yield. However, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a new varietal of tomatoes that could withstand extreme drought conditions.
Often grown in open field conditions where extensive precautions and measures for pest control are needed to protect the plant's yield, where consistent and constant irrigation and proper use of fertilisation are required to enable a high production, has become increasingly tricky as environmental conditions have changed, with the climate crisis often leading to severe water shortages globally. An innovation was needed to maintain the plant as a viable crop for consumers and growers alike, with new, more robust cultivation methods and varietals.
Conducted as part of the Europeans Unions Horizon 2020 program and published in the Journal of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the research was led by the student Shai Torgeman and professor Dani Zamir from the Hebrew University Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
There were identified interactions found by the researchers in two regions of the tomato genome that consequently meant a 20 to 50 percent increase in the overall yield of the tomato plant under irrigated conditions and droughts.
The researchers found that the structure of the tomato genome that allowed the precise mapping of the plant's gene had the potential for extensive uptake and application across various plants to increase productivity.
To create the new tomato varietals that could withstand extreme conditions, the researcher cross-bred two tomato species, a wild tomato originating from the desert of western Peru and a cultivated tomato. Cross-breeding allowed the researchers to determine the region that affects the genome of the plant's traits, such as its yield.
While there was no effect individually, cross-bred the new varietal had a genome structure that was significantly more fertile, persevering mainly and importantly to dry conditions.
The researcher conducted the DNA sequencing and analysed the changes across 1,400 plants across four years, with the resulting tomato varietal and researchers seeking and being sought to become commercialised.
