Francely Flores 1, Javier Gramajo López 2.
The presentation entitled “Phenotypic characterization of tomato actions in open field and macrotunnel conditions” carried out by Francely Flores, as a requirement to obtain the degree of Master in Sustainable Tropical Agriculture at Zamorano University, is a very interesting and relevant work in the field of tomato production in Honduras. The research aims to phenotypically characterize a group of tomato accessions from the WVC germplasm bank under open field and macrotunnel conditions to identify accessions with superior adaptation under climatic conditions and production systems representative of tomato-producing areas in Honduras.
The thesis student Francely Flores is an Agronomic Engineer and Specialist in Sustainable Tropical Agriculture, graduated from EARTH University (Costa Rica) and Zamorano University (Honduras), with several years of experience in agronomic work in Central America and the Caribbean countries. She currently works for TrueNatural located in Connecticut, USA in the analysis area in the Regulatory Affairs department, where regulatory processes are worked on by state.
It should be noted that Zamorano University has a mission “to provide the highest quality agriculture education through practical training, at the undergraduate university level, to Latin American youth, with an emphasis on the lifelong habits of honesty, hard work, personal discipline, and confidence in their professional ability. Zamorano graduates are taught to have persistence with the farmer, commercial viability, and a philosophical attitude so that they do not abandon their mission as food producers as they advance in their careers, both in public and private sectors”.
The presentation was held in the MATS room on March 14, 2023, with a duration of 45 minutes. The attendees to the thesis presentation virtually by alphabetical order were: Daniel Macz, Jorge Flores, Luz Dency, Mónica Montoya, Omaira, Ricardo Enríquez, Carolina Avellaneda, Hugo Ramirez, Javier Gramajo López (TrueNatural), Keila Velásquez, Raphael Wesly Colbert. It should be mentioned that the main advisor is Carolina Avellaneda, Ph.D., and the co-advisors are Hugo Ramirez, Ph.D., and Raphael Wesly Colbert, Ph.D.
In the student’s research, the main topics that were taken into account were:
- Ex situ and in situ conservation
- Research and characterization of phytogenetic resources
- Participatory plant breeding
- Availability of genetic material
- Promotion of crop diversity
The methodology used for the research is adequate and rigorous, using 14 quantitative descriptors and one qualitative descriptor to evaluate the desired characteristics of vegetative growth, productivity, fruit quality, and resistance to the TYLCV virus in the tomato lines studied. The results show that the AVTO1903 and AVTO1915 lines are the ones that present the best performance in both production conditions.
The objective of this study is “To phenotypically characterize a group of tomato accessions from the WVC germplasm bank under open field and macrotunnel conditions and to identify accessions with superior adaptation under climatic conditions and production systems representative of tomato-producing areas in Honduras. The hypothesis was raised to identify at least one tomato accession that has the phenotypic characteristics desired by farmers and that surpasses the average yields, post-harvest quality, and pest and disease tolerance of the hybrids mostly used in the Honduras area.”
Specific topics: “Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is considered a horticultural crop of great economic importance and an important source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Currently, the growing demand for food, conventional horticultural management, and the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture, raise the need to develop adaptation strategies that allow for sustainable tomato crop production. For this reason, farmers must know and apply appropriate agricultural practices with genetic material that has a better phenotypic response to the conditions in which it develops. The trials were conducted in open field and macrotunnel in Zamorano, from February to July 2022, using 14 quantitative descriptors and one qualitative. Desired characteristics of vegetative growth, productivity, fruit quality, and resistance to TYLCV virus were identified in the AVTO1903 and AVTO1915 lines, showing a similar response to the Bianco F1 and Pony Express F1 hybrids.”
In general, this research is an example of how phenotypic characterization of crops can be an important tool for selecting varieties with desired characteristics under different production conditions. The results obtained can be used to improve tomato production in Honduras and other countries in the region. Therefore, it is recommended to continue with the validation of these tomato lines through a participatory evaluation process for their possible release as commercial varieties and/or for use in genetic improvement programs to improve sustainable agricultural production.
The results of this study allow for the initiation of a participatory plant breeding process to validate the potential for adaptation and production. In conclusion, the selected actions can be used for release and/or use in improvement programs to confer characteristics of high yield, post-harvest quality, and resistance to TYLCV, thus contributing to more sustainable agricultural production.
The conclusions of the thesis are as follows: Through this study, the phenotypic characterization of a group of tomato accessions from the WVC germplasm bank was achieved under open field and protected environment (macrotunnel) conditions. This allowed for the identification of lines that presented the best performance under climatic conditions representative of the producing areas in Honduras, using 14 quantitative descriptors and one qualitative for their evaluation. In open field, it was determined that the accessions with the best phenotypic response were AVTO1903, AVTO1915, and AVTO2128, both in yield and post-harvest quality. Similarly, the accessions under macrotunnel conditions that showed the best productivity results were the AVTO1903, AVTO1915, AVTO2101, and AVTO2132 lines. Among the identified accessions with desired phenotypic characteristics of vegetative growth, productivity, fruit quality, and resistance to TYLCV virus, in both production systems, are the AVTO1903 and AVTO1915 lines, obtaining similar responses to the Bianco F1 and Pony Express F1 controls, so they are actions that could be validated on farmers’ farms.
Taking into account these considerations, it is recommended to carry out a participatory evaluation process to validate the adaptation potential for release purposes by the World Vegetable Center (WVC) as commercial varieties and/or for their use in plant breeding with desirable characteristics of yield, postharvest quality, and resistance to TYLCV, and contribute to sustainable agriculture.
The presentation was clear and concise, lasting 45 minutes, which allowed attendees to easily understand the results obtained and the study’s conclusions. The results are relevant to tomato producers in Honduras, as they provide valuable information on tomato lines that exhibit better phenotypic characteristics under open field and high tunnel conditions.
Future work:
Francely Flores will begin an internship in Taiwan at the “World Vegetable Center” for a duration of 6 months, starting in April and ending in September. During her internship, she will focus on the “evaluation of candidate genes for resistance to southern blight in tomato and pepper based on screening and RNA-seq transcriptome analysis.” This project involves working on RNA sequencing data analysis to identify candidate genes that may confer resistance to southern blight in tomato and pepper crops.
In addition to her work in the internship, Francely will be remotely integrated with TrueNatural, a company with operations in California, Connecticut, Florida, New York, and Oregon in the USA, in the Regulatory Affairs department. In this role, she will have the opportunity to develop processes on the marketing of sustainable products, registration of new products, labeling, reporting according to regulations in each state, and ensuring that the company complies with applicable regulations and norms, as well as opening operations in other states.