Evaluation of Dwarf Tomato Germplasm for Dual-Purpose Use: Breeding and Rootstock Potential
5 affiliations
- 1Departamento de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Sete Lagoas CEP 35701-970, MG, Brazil
- 2Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Rodovia BR 050, Km78, s/n, Uberlândia CEP 38410-337, MG, Brazil
- 3Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Rodovia LMG 746, Km01, s/n, Monte Carmelo CEP 38500-000, MG, Brazil
- 4Instituto Agronômico (IAC), Centro de Horticultura, Campinas CEP 13075-630, SP, Brazil
- 5Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Rodovia LMG 746, Km01, s/n, Monte Carmelo CEP 38500-000, MG, Brazil
Abstract
Tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum L.) productivity is threatened by biotic and abiotic stresses, exacerbated by climate change. The use of rootstocks is an effective strategy to enhance tomato resilience. Interest in characterizing dwarf tomato germplasm has increased, though its potential as a rootstock remains unexplored. The objective was to validate the use of dwarf tomato germplasm for: (1) characterizing dwarf tomato genotypes for morphoagronomic traits relevant to hybrid development and (2) evaluating their potential as rootstocks. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted. Experiment I assessed a recurrent parent (normal-architecture tomato), a donor parent (dwarf tomato), and twelve dwarf tomato lines. Morphoagronomic traits of fruits, shoots, and roots were evaluated, allowing the selection of the best dwarf tomato candidate for rootstock use. Experiment II was performed after grafting onto the selected dwarf tomato rootstock (UFU MC TOM1) from Experiment I. Commercial hybrids (Xanthus, Luan, Vivacy, and Bento) were used as grafting material, resulting in four graft combinations: Vivacy/UFU MC TOM1, Xanthus/UFU MC TOM1, Luan/UFU MC TOM1, and Bento/UFU MC TOM1. Both experiments followed a randomized block design in a greenhouse. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate approaches. The evaluated dwarf tomato germplasm exhibited relevant morphoagronomic traits, standing out as a promising source for hybrid development. The use of dwarf tomato genotypes as rootstocks proved viable, as grafting significantly increased root volume, overcoming potential limitations associated with the dwarf plant’s root system. These findings highlight the potential of dwarf tomatoes for both breeding programs and grafted seedling production, contributing to crop sustainability and efficiency.
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BibTeX
@article{maciel2026evaluation,
title = {{Evaluation of Dwarf Tomato Germplasm for Dual-Purpose Use: Breeding and Rootstock Potential}},
author = {Gabriel Mascarenhas Maciel and Ana Luisa Alves Ribeiro and Lucas Medeiros Pereira and Hugo Arantes Mendonça and Luis Felipe Villani Purquerio and Nádia Nardely Lacerda Durães Parrella and Amilton Ferreira da Silva and Ana Carolina Silva Siquieroli and Orlando Ribeiro de Oliveira and Vinicius Augusto Pereira and Filipe Gomes Barbosa},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27219540},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9540},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Evaluation of Dwarf Tomato Germplasm for Dual-Purpose Use: Breeding and Rootstock Potential
AU - Gabriel Mascarenhas Maciel
AU - Ana Luisa Alves Ribeiro
AU - Lucas Medeiros Pereira
AU - Hugo Arantes Mendonça
AU - Luis Felipe Villani Purquerio
AU - Nádia Nardely Lacerda Durães Parrella
AU - Amilton Ferreira da Silva
AU - Ana Carolina Silva Siquieroli
AU - Orlando Ribeiro de Oliveira
AU - Vinicius Augusto Pereira
AU - Filipe Gomes Barbosa
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27219540
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9540
AB - Tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum L.) productivity is threatened by biotic and abiotic stresses, exacerbated by climate change. The use of rootstocks is an effective strategy to enhance tomato resilience. Interest in characterizing dwarf tomato germplasm has increased, though its potential as a rootstock remains unexplored. The objective was to validate the use of dwarf tomato germplasm for: (1) characterizing dwarf tomato genotypes for morphoagronomic traits relevant to hybrid development and (2) evaluating their potential as rootstocks. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted. Experiment I assessed a recurrent parent (normal-architecture tomato), a donor parent (dwarf tomato), and twelve dwarf tomato lines. Morphoagronomic traits of fruits, shoots, and roots were evaluated, allowing the selection of the best dwarf tomato candidate for rootstock use. Experiment II was performed after grafting onto the selected dwarf tomato rootstock (UFU MC TOM1) from Experiment I. Commercial hybrids (Xanthus, Luan, Vivacy, and Bento) were used as grafting material, resulting in four graft combinations: Vivacy/UFU MC TOM1, Xanthus/UFU MC TOM1, Luan/UFU MC TOM1, and Bento/UFU MC TOM1. Both experiments followed a randomized block design in a greenhouse. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate approaches. The evaluated dwarf tomato germplasm exhibited relevant morphoagronomic traits, standing out as a promising source for hybrid development. The use of dwarf tomato genotypes as rootstocks proved viable, as grafting significantly increased root volume, overcoming potential limitations associated with the dwarf plant’s root system. These findings highlight the potential of dwarf tomatoes for both breeding programs and grafted seedling production, contributing to crop sustainability and efficiency.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -