Physiological and Molecular Breeding for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Tomato

Dear Colleagues,

Tomato is a crucial vegetable crop that plays a significant role in the global vegetable industry. It originated from the arid regions of the Andes in South America, and wild tomato varieties possess excellent drought resistance. Nevertheless, due to domestication and natural variation, the majority of cultivated tomato varieties are sensitive to drought. The growth and development of plants are frequently influenced by the external environment, and within this which abiotic stresses (including drought, high temperature, low temperature, high salinity, heavy metals, etc.) are important factors determining the distribution and growth of plants. Abiotic stresses restrict the utilization of arable land globally and exert a substantial negative impact on crop yields. Meanwhile, the effects of various abiotic stresses on plants are interrelated. High temperature accelerates the evaporation of water vapor, which notably exacerbates the drought condition, and long-term drought increases the accumulation of salt in the soil, leading to high salt stress. In the history of crop breeding, conventional techniques such as hybridization, backcrossing, artificial mutagenesis, pedigree selection, and recurrent selection have made important contributions to the genetic improvement of drought resistance. Conventional breeding primarily relies on phenotypic selection in the field, yet it is significantly affected by environmental conditions and necessitates years of identification and evaluation, resulting in high labor intensity, long time consumption, and low efficiency. To expedite breeding for resistance to abiotic stress, it is essential to explore drought-resistance genes and their molecular mechanisms.

Prof. Dr. Jinhua Li
Dr. Guobin Li
Guest Editors

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