Paris, France — A key meeting took place at the Limagrain office in Paris, bringing together the ISF Phytosanitary Affairs Manager, Rose Souza Richards, and the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the ISF CG Phyto, EG Systems Approach, and EG Disease Resistance Terminology. Discussions focused on defining the work plan and key strategic objectives for the next two years.
In addition, Rose attended the 3rd Meeting of the Steering Committee of the ToBR-Ag project, an initiative supported by the CPVA and manager by GEVES in collaboration with four examination offices, INRAE, and nine seed companies. It aims to develop protocols for evaluating disease resistance in vegetable varieties for DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity, Stability) testing, with a focus on ToBRFV (Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus) in tomato and pepper and Aphis gossypii in melon.
Key Objectives of the Tobr-Ag Project
For ToBRFV resistance evaluation in tomato and pepper, the key objectives are:
- Characterizing ToBRFV isolates to define pathotypes and select a representative one.
- Developing a resistance test for DUS testing by validating a biotest and marker test.
For Aphis gossypii resistance evaluation in melon, the focus is on:
- Validating Aphis gossypii biotypes and selecting representative clones for different commercial melon types.
- Confirming resistance traits and updating the DUS protocol to incorporate relevant markers.
These developments mark significant progress toward strengthening disease resistance assessment methodologies in vegetable breeding and ensuring the robustness of DUS protocols. ISF remains committed to advancing phytosanitary and regulatory frameworks to support innovation and sustainability in the seed sector.
For more information on the ToBR-Ag project, visit the GEVES website.
