When a gene from bell and hot peppers is inserted into tomatoes, it not only imparts resistance to bacterial spot—a devastating tomato disease—it also bumps up yields.
Jay Scott, a University of Florida tomato breeder at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, admits a small segment of the population opposes transgenic crops.
But he says the benefits of a bacterial spot-resistant tomato to the environment and growers would be a strong selling point.
“We still have to overcome different views on transgenic crops,” he told attendees of the recent Florida Tomato Institute in Naples. “My personal feeling is most people just don’t care.
View the original article here: Transgenic tomato withstands bacterial spot, yields more fruit
