Use of resistant cultivars to manage insect pests and disease in tomatoes

Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV) is a tospoviral disease, transmitted by thrips and was first detected in South Florida in 2012. South Florida is the major producer of winter tomatoes in the USA. Because of this disease, growers are facing a 10-20% marketable yield loss every year. Thrips species specially Frankliniella occidentalis and F. schulzei are the vectors of this disease, transmitting the virus from an infected plant to a healthy plant. The local growers are practicing different cultural, chemical, and biological control agents to manage this pest-borne disease. The current study was conducted to determine the status of the different resistant varieties to manage pests and diseases in tomatoes. We used five tomato varieties (Solanum lycopersicum var. Sanibel, Red Bounty, Southern Ripe, Varsity, and Plum) in this study. In a randomized complete block design experiment, we used five tomato varieties treated with a rotation of insecticide treatments. The susceptible variety of TCSV which is Sanibel without any insecticide application was used as control. We observed a higher disease incidence and lower yield in the Sanibel variety than in the other variety. Varsity was found the least infected tomatoes along with a higher yield than the other variety. The present study would be effective for the local growers to know the varietal difference of tomatoes on the disease and pest incidence and marketable yield.