Tomato, pepper, and pumpkin adapted to the specific climate and preferences of Taiwan vegetable producers and consumers demands ongoing cooperation and a focus on the latest research. A field day highlights the results.

The World Vegetable Center hosted an Information Exchange and Field Demonstration of Vegetable Breeding Research on 18 May 2021 at WorldVeg Headquarters in Shanhua, Taiwan. About 40 participants from 16 government organizations, universities, and private companies attended the showcase of the Center’s improved vegetable lines and research capacity to benefit Taiwan’s farmers and consumers.

The visitors were welcomed by WorldVeg Director General Dr. Marco Wopereis and Deputy Director General – Partnerships Dr. Yann-rong Lin.

Continuing the close cooperation among WorldVeg researchers and Taiwan’s seed companies and agricultural research institutions will lead to climate-resilient vegetables well-adapted to Taiwan’s environment and market preferences, Marco said. He and Dr. Hung-Ying Yang, Director of the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extensions Station (DARES) in nearby Xinhua, took the opportunity to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to foster future research work.

WorldVeg researchers then briefed participants on the characteristics of the hybrid and open-pollinated tomato, hot and sweet pepper, and pumpkin lines in the field trials they would soon see.

WorldVeg plant breeders strive to combine resistance to pests and diseases and increase nutrients and yield in the lines they develop.  This reduces farmers’ need for pesticides, increases farmers’ incomes, and protects the environment. Farmers have more choice in what they grow and consumers have greater choice in what they buy.

With Taiwan in the grip of an extended drought, the visitors were especially interested in vegetable crops demonstrating heat and drought tolerance. Researchers explained the use of the WorldVeg Phenospex field phenotyping system—one of only several in the world—to screen heat-tolerant peppers and select those with promising responses when the thermometer is on the rise. Phenospex uses 3-D sensors mounted on a gantry that automatically moves the sensors over the field to collect data from each plant at least three times in 24 hours. The researchers can watch how plants respond to high heat and lack of water throughout the day. Such intensive analysis of how plants respond to the environment is increasing in importance as the climate changes.

After the introduction, participants were free to roam the field rows and examine vegetable lines with pest, disease, and virus resistance, specific plant habits, and various fruit shapes, sizes, and colors.

Green-shouldered tomato—a Taiwan favorite—with multiple disease resistance genes and average fruit weight of 150-180 grams was on view, as were fresh-market and processing tomato types.

Participants saw more than 100 varieties of pumpkin, including ‘Zingmiao Yashu No. 3’, a variety resistant to multiple viruses. They also visited large net cages where traditional vegetable species are being grown out for later seed collection by WorldVeg Genebank staff.

After lunch, the participants joined in a videoconference with WorldVeg researchers. There were presentations on tomato, pepper, cucurbit, and broccoli breeding; tomato bacterial spot; mycology research; Tuta absoluta, a new tomato pest; the inspection process for healthy seeds and seedlings; and seed regeneration.

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