Project: NEMATOLOS - Nematode resistance by loss of susceptibility

The NEMATOLOS project is a public private partnership funded by the Stichting TKI Uitgangsmaterialen and several vegetable seed breeding companies in the Netherlands. NEMATOLOS addresses a major concern of the tomato production industry. For decades outbreaks of root-knot nematodes in tomato-producing areas could be controlled by applying pesticides and major nematode resistance genes. Since the recent phasing out of pesticides, the industry relies on a small number of major nematode resistance genes in tomato to secure crop productivity. However, these classical resistances alone prove to be unable to provide adequate control. Genetic adaptations in field populations of root-knot nematodes and changing local climates render most major nematode resistances useless in many parts of the world. The objective of this project is to develop a lead discovery platform for the development of nematode resistance in tomato, which is not dependent on classical major resistance genes.