Biofortified Lycopersicon esculentum L. plants: varietal susceptibility towards Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum

Bacterial wilt of tomato caused by Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum (Rps) represents a serious threat to agricultural production with significant impacts on crop yield and quality. Agronomic biofortification, mostly used to increase the nutritional value of plant foods, plays a crucial role in ensuring good plant growth while maintaining plant health at optimal level. In this context, it is likely to hypothesize to adopt biofortification as a strategy to improve plant resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. In this study, susceptibility towards Rps was evaluated in Zinc-biofortified varieties of Lycopersicon esculentum L. grown at two different concentrations of Zn (2 µM and 10 µM). In particular, among the Zinc-biofortified varieties, two commercial (ROSSORO and MARINER) and two non-commercial (ISI36 and LA4068), grown in coco fiber/agriperlite and subsequently inoculated with the Rps strain CFBP6424, were considered. The data suggested that, under the experimental conditions adopted, Zn supplementation did not have a decisive impact on plant resistance to Rps, but it was highlighted the need to investigate more thoroughly the role of mineral nutrition to manage this important bacterial disease. Indeed, the possibility to enhance the zinc content in tomato plants with the dual effect of increasing the food nutritional value and the plant resistance to biotic stress, might have major impacts in the food supply chain from the seed companies to the consumers. Indeed, crop biofortification is rightfully among the strategies aimed at countering pesticide use with health impacts and environmental sustainability lies at the core of the European Green Deal action plan.