Papaya ringspot virus resistance in Carica papaya via introgression from Vasconcellea quercifolia

We report the first successful production of PRSV-P resistant backcross (BC) papaya plants following intergeneric hybridisation between C. papaya and a Vasconcellea species after 50 years of reports on unsuccessful attempts. This follows our previous reports of PRSV-P resistant F-1 hybrids developed by intergeneric hybridisation between C. papaya and V. quercifolia. One PRSV-P resistant BC 1 (BC1) plant was produced after 114,839 seeds were dissected from 940 fruits. The seeds yielded 1,011 embryos and 733 germinated in vitro from which 700 developed into plantlets that were screened in a glasshouse and in the field under high disease pressure and exposure to inoculation by viruliferous aphids. From the PRSV-P resistant backcross 1 (BC1) male plant, 1465 plants [137 BC2, 546 SbC2 (BC2 sib-crosses), 147 BC3, 379 SbC3 and 256 BC4] were grown from seed and inoculated with PRSV-P and virus resistant BC3 and BC4 plants were selected from these generations. Presence or absence of virus was confirmed by ELISA serological tests. BC plants generally developed mild symptoms of PRSV-P after periods ranging from 5 to 18 months in the field but many showed the ability to produce new growth free of symptoms. All control plants developed severe symptoms after 3 months in the field. Some BC3 and BC4 plants were free from viral infection after 18 months in the field. Subsequently they developed very mild symptoms on their leaves and a few ringspots on their fruit. They continued to grow vigorously and produce fruit for 3 years under high disease pressure provided by the infected controls and other susceptible plants. Good quality marketable fruit were produced on these plants. Application of these results should lead to restoration of the papaya industry in virus-infested regions of the Philippines and worldwide.