Breeding for Resistance to Fusarium Wilt of Tomato: A Review.

For over a century, breeders have worked to develop tomato () cultivars with resistance to Fusarium wilt () caused by the soilborne fungus f. sp. . Host resistance is the most effective strategy for the management of this disease. For each of the three races, resistance has been introgressed from wild tomato species, predominately in the form of R genes. The , and R genes have each been identified, as well as the corresponding Avr effectors in the fungus with the exception of . The mechanisms by which the R gene protein products recognize these effectors, however, has not been elucidated. Extensive genetic mapping, gene cloning, and genome sequencing efforts support the development of tightly-linked molecular markers, which greatly expedite tomato breeding and the development of elite, resistant cultivars. These resources also provide important tools for pyramiding resistance genes and should support the durability of host resistance.