Hyderabad: An international workshop on unlocking advances and applications in global tomato breeding was organised at the Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University here on Wednesday.
The workshop focused on the development of new tomato varieties that are resistant to climate change, virus diseases and pests, as well as high yield and quality.
Participating in the workshop, Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University Vice Chancellor Dr Danda Rajireddy said if tomato hybrid varieties, which are suitable for processing industries are developed, the export opportunities will increase, thereby enhancing the farmers income.
Dr Rajireddy said there is a need to make tomato varieties that are resistant to the pinworm, which damages tomatoes the most during summer season and as well as the Yellow Leaf Curl Virus disease. There is also a need to develop varieties that give good yields even when the day temperature exceeds 42 degrees celsius, he said.
World Vegetable Centre, Taiwan, Senior Scientist, Dr Asaf Eybishitz said Telangana farmers cultivating tomatoes are losing their yield, quality due to viral diseases, tomato pinworm and early blight.
The World Vegetable Research Institute has varieties that can withstand them and will soon make them available to the farmers, he added
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