Israel-based TomaTech has filed for a provisional patent, which will help it accelerate the commercialization of tomatoes resistant to Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV), the virus behind “the pandemic of the tomato world.” 

The patent specifies which DNA markers correlate to resistant varieties, opening up the doors to the proliferation of high-resistance non-GMO tomato varieties.

The appearance of ToBRFV on commercial tomato cultivations has presented a substantial threat to tomato growers and to the entire value chain around the world. 

ToBRFV has devastated indoor tomato plantations globally since 2014, amounting to billions of US dollars of economic damage in the last few years globally, overwhelming greenhouses across North America, Europe and the Middle East. 

“This discovery will allow us to rapidly develop a complete portfolio of resistant tomato varieties for global introduction and will benefit the growers and the entire value chain, providing a consistent supply chain while lowering production costs,” says Ofer Ben Zvi, CEO of TomaTech. 

Building on R&D
TomaTech targeted virus resistance as one of its top R&D goals and has been working intensively since 2017 to develop new sources of resistance and new cultivars.

“We reached a breakthrough a year ago with the discovery of specific DNA markers that proved instrumental in helping us isolate, identify and introduce ToBRFV-resistant genes, which we bred into our principal commercial tomato varieties,” says Favi Vidavski, PhD, president and head of R&D of TomaTech. 

“The ability to find strong resistance as well as identify DNA markers, protecting our intellectual property through submission of provisional patent application, demonstrates TomaTech’s capabilities to position itself at the front line in the research and breeding of the tomato varieties for the global market.”

Resistance tomatoes on the market 
The company currently boasts an “impressive portfolio” of commercial ToBRFV-resistant tomatoes that already are available for its customers, which are intermediate resistance (IR). 

“We developed an advanced, highly efficient screening system based on controlled inoculation and molecular technology wher we continually tested tens of thousands of tomato plants under the most severe conditions,” explains Vidavski.

TomaTech have already introduced IR capabilities across its entire breeding program while concurrently broadening efforts to attain the next stage of high resistance (HR), projected to be completed in the near future. 

“Our breeding methodology not only boosts resilience but also positively enhances flavor and fruit quality characteristics, ensuring that the needs of retailers are met and that consumers will have continuous access to healthy, attractive, and flavorful tomato varieties,” adds Zvi. 

The cost of ToBRFV 
ToBRFV has led to colossal losses in yields, ranging from 30 percent in losses to devastating entire crops.

Due to ToBRFV’s ability to rapidly spread via mechanic transmission, especially under intense production practices, hygiene protocols have been imposed that require farmers to wear full protective gear and fully isolate virus-infected greenhouses.

The virus affects a broad spectrum of tomatoes, from sweet cherry lines to full-sized beefsteak tomatoes. 

TomaTech’s innovation can be applied to a comprehensive range of tomato varieties across all segments and can be adapted to both heated and non-heated greenhouses. 

TomaTech will continue to invest efforts and agronomical inputs to bring real solutions to growers.

Food-tech grows
Capital for innovative food-tech start-ups is only growing as more investors seek solutions to keep the food supply sustainable for future generations. 

In recent investments, EIT Food, a food “innovation ecosystem” set up by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, has entered into a partnership with the new European Carbon+ Farming Coalition. 

The ambitious new coalition – established by the World Economic Forum’s CEO Action Group for the European Green Deal – aims to decarbonize the European food system, while maximizing other benefits such as soil health, farmer resilience and biodiversity.