Evaluation of resistance of Solanum scuticum accessions to soil-borne pathogens in tomato crops in Brazil

Soil-borne pathogens are among the most important phytopathological problems in tomato crops around the world. Resistant rootstocks are important tools to control these pathogens in tomato. The reaction of 45 Solanum scuticum accessions to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) races 2 and 3 and to Meloidogyne enterolobii (Me) was evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Solanum scuticum accessions were tested and compared with susceptible tomato cultivars 'Santa Clara' (Fol) and 'Rutgers' (Me) and the resistant cultivar 'Nemadoro' (Me). Tomato seedlings and S. scuticum accessions were grown in trays and inoculated separately with Fol race 2 or 3. Twenty-day-old tomato seedlings were inoculated by immersing the roots in a spore suspension (1x10(6) microconidia mL(-1)), while the S. scuticum accessions were inoculated at 50 days after sowing. Seedlings were then transplanted to pots containing 1.5 L sterilized soil. In the case of nematode inoculation, 27-day-old plants were transplanted into 4.5-L pots and inoculated with 6000 eggs and juveniles per plant. The experiments consisted of a randomized block design with five replications, where each replicate consisted of one pot with three plants (Fol) or one pot with one plant (Me). The evaluations were done on day 50 (Fol) or day 64 (Me) after inoculation. All 45 S. scuticum accessions showed resistance to Fol races 2 and 3, while all tomato plants were highly susceptible to both races of the pathogen. Concerning M. enterolobii, 11 accessions showed resistance to the nematode: CNPH-7, CNPH-39, CNPH-48, CNPH-51, CNPH-52, CNPH-53, CNPH-68, CNPH-73, CNPH-79, CNPH-84 and CNPH-97. Thus, these 11 accessions showed multiple resistances to pathogens, indicating their great potential for use in management of soil-borne pathogens in tomato crops in the future.