Development of Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus Resistant Varieties through Digital Breeding

The Rural Development Administration (RDA) has announced the development of a new tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) resistant variety. The RDA recently achieved this result through the 'Digital Breeding Transition Technology Development Project'. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus is a viral disease that has caused serious damage to tomato farms worldwide, including in South Korea, due to global warming. When infected, the leaves turn yellow and curl, reducing tomato production by up to 90%. According to data from the Rural Development Administration, as of 2020, 30% of domestic tomato farms have been affected by the tomato yellow leaf curl virus, and variant viruses have also emerged, troubling tomato farmers. The tobacco whitefly, which transmits the tomato yellow leaf curl virus, has a high resistance to pesticides, making pesticide control difficult. Experts point out that breeding varieties resistant to variant viruses is essential to fundamentally reduce virus damage. In ...