A new study on wild tomatoes reveals genetic traits that could help develop salt-tolerant crops, offering hope for more resilient and sustainable agriculture in the face of climate change.
As climate change escalates and soil salinity rises in agricultural areas worldwide, the quest to find crops that can thrive under these challenging conditions intensifies. While cultivated tomatoes often falter in salty soils, their wild relatives have naturally adapted to survive in diverse and harsh environments. A recent breakthrough study by researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) may hold the key to leveraging these wild genes to develop more salt-tolerant crop varieties.
The research team, led by Magda Julkowska, an assistant professor at BTI, focused on Solanum pimpinellifolium, a wild tomato species closely related to cultivated tomatoes. Despite its unimpressive appearance, this tiny, cherry-sized fruit harbors a wealth of genetic diversity and resilience against environmental stresses.
To unearth the mechanisms behind its salt tolerance, the scientists subjected these wild tomatoes to various levels of salt stress. Using high-throughput phenotyping techniques, they examined the plants’ responses both in greenhouse and field conditions, uncovering significant variations in how they coped with salinity.
“One of the study’s most intriguing findings was that a plant’s overall vigor – its ability to grow quickly and robustly – played a significant role in its salt tolerance,” Julkowska said in a news release. “This suggests that breeding healthier, more vigorous plants could indirectly improve their ability to withstand salt stress.”
The investigation revealed that characteristics such as transpiration rate, shoot mass and ion accumulation were strongly correlated with plant performance under salt stress. Remarkably, while the transpiration rate was crucial in the greenhouse, shoot mass had a more pronounced impact on yield in field conditions.
“We were surprised to find that the amount of salt the plants accumulated in their leaves wasn’t as important to their overall performance as previously thought,” added Julkowska. “This challenges some existing ideas about how plants cope with salt stress and opens up new avenues for research.”
One of the study’s most exciting revelations was the discovery of candidate genes previously unassociated with salt stress tolerance.
“These specific genotypes can be used as allele donors for further improving crop performance and developing more sustainable agriculture,” Julkowska added.
This pioneering study provides valuable insights into the genetic basis of salt stress tolerance in wild tomatoes, laying the groundwork for future research and breeding efforts. The findings could inform the development of tomato varieties — and potentially other crops — that can grow in saline soils, expanding agricultural possibilities and ensuring more stable yields amidst changing climates.
While it may be some time before salt-tolerant tomatoes make their way to supermarket shelves, this research represents a significant step towards creating a more resilient and sustainable food system. It highlights the potential of wild plant relatives in solving some of the most urgent agricultural challenges.
The research, published in The Plant Journal, was supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the Australian Government under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).