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The first consensus genetic map in fresh-market tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) was constructed, combining genetic recombination data from two biparental F₂ segregating populations derived from four different fresh-market tomatoes. Each F₂ population was nominated by different academic tomato breeding programs located in major fresh-market tomato-producing areas of the United States, and chromosome-wide variation in recombination rates was observed between tomato populations based on the origin of their breeding programs. A consensus map constructed using 335 common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites found in both populations spanned 737.3 cM across 12 tomato chromosomes, with chromosome 2 containing more than 40% of the total SNPs and chromosomes 4, 5, 7, and 10 together representing less than 10% of the SNPs. There was a high degree of collinearity between the genetic and physical positions of those 335 SNP markers. The integration of 6553 SNP sites that were detected in either of the two populations with 335 common sites resulted in an extended consensus genetic map. The total length of the extended map was estimated to be 1997.9 cM, which was compatible with a previous estimate for large-fruited fresh-market tomato. A linkage panel for fresh-market tomato was also established using the combined dataset of the consensus map of 335 SNP loci and 73 SNP-genotyped core fresh-market tomatoes. An empirical genetic mapping study of the tomato brachytic trait using the linkage panel demonstrated the value of the consensus map and linkage panel for tomato research. The allelic information in the linkage panel will serve as a basis for SNP marker implementation, such as genotyping platforms and genomic association map, in tomato.

Mechanization of farm work is increasingly demanded for the current system of fresh-market tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production. One essential element for the adoption of mechanical harvest of fresh-market tomatoes is modification of plant architecture so that the crop can be grown without staking. To address this in the current production system, the stem length should be reduced. The tomato brachytic (br) locus has been shown to be a primary source of reducing stem length. To improve the effectiveness of marker-assisted selection (MAS) for the br-mediated trait and to provide resources for cloning this gene, we fine-mapped br to the tomato genome. Fine mapping of br to chromosome 1 was initiated by a survey of genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) shown to be polymorphic between the br phenotype and normal using the tomato array, identifying the interval that harbors br. Genetic markers that flank the locus further permitted saturation of the interval. Twenty-six fixed homozygous recombinant lines were identified together in two different populations and tested with those markers. These efforts resulted in the first report that the br is fine-mapped to a 763-kb physical interval of tomato reference genome. The identified markers close to the br in the present study will be significant resources for MAS and gene cloning research.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is an important vegetable crop and a valuable source of nutrients for the human diet. The southeast is the main fresh market tomato producer of the United States, with much of the production concentrated in Florida. However, production in this region is threatened by plant diseases such as target spot of tomato (TS) caused by Corynespora cassiicola, a multitrophic fungus widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas. TS can infect foliage and fruit, often resulting in significant yield losses in conductive environments. There are no known TS-resistant cultivars, and control relies entirely on fungicidal sprays. However, several studies have demonstrated that the fungus is developing resistance to commonly used fungicides which further complicates disease management. The objective of this work was to identify sources of resistance to TS from wild Solanum accessions. Initial screens of 83 accessions informed the selection of 24 accessions for a more robust screening in which six diverse C. cassiicola isolates were used for single-isolate inoculation experiments. The results from a broad-sense mixed-model analysis including data from all six experiments demonstrated that all 24 accessions had significantly lower disease severities compared with the susceptible controls, suggesting that all accessions potentially harbor resistance quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Solanum cheesmaniae accession LA0524, S. galapagense accessions LA0483 and LA0532, and S. pimpinellifolium accession LA2093 were among the most resistant accessions tested and may be particularly useful for introgression of resistance into cultivated germplasm and for mapping of TS resistance QTLs.