Resistance to Phytophthora infestans in Lycopersicon pennellii

To determine if the desert tomato, Lycopersicon pennellii, possesses resistance to late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, two plant populations were analyzed. Resistance was identified through assessments of disease progress in an F2 mapping population (L. esculentum x L. pennellii) and in a series of introgression lines (L. pennellii into L. esculentum). Levels of resistance varied widely among individuals within each population. However, the response of individuals to different strains of P. infestans was consistent. In the mapping population, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) was detected near marker T1556 on chromosome 6. This QTL accounted for 25% of the phenotypic variance in the population. The occurrence of this QTL was confirmed from analysis of the introgression lines (ILs), where IL 6-2 (containing marker T1556) was the most resistant IL in 2002 and the second most resistant IL in 2001. The identification of an additional QTL for resistance to late blight in tomato will aid in the development of durable resistance to this devastating disease.