[Setsunan University] Elucidation of Rotting Factors Caused by Diseases in Processing Tomatoes During Maturation
A joint research group from Setsunan University's Faculty of Agriculture, led by Associate Professor Yuichiro Iida, and Kagome Co., Ltd., has elucidated the causes of fruit rot observed in processing tomatoes during their maturation period. The study revealed that multiple filamentous fungi, specifically from the Colletotrichum and Alternaria genera, are involved in the rot, with symptoms being particularly strong in mature fruits. This achievement is expected to contribute to future disease control measures and the development of disease-resistant varieties.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 30, 2026 at 23:00
- 🔍 Collected: March 30, 2026 at 22:56
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 20:25 (381h 29m after Collected)
A joint research group consisting of Associate Professor Yuichiro Iida of the Department of Agricultural Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Setsunan University (President: Yasuyuki Kubo), and major food manufacturer Kagome Co., Ltd., has elucidated the factors causing fruit rot observed in processing tomatoes during their maturation period. The research results are expected to be useful as basic knowledge for fungal control measures.
**[Key Points of This Matter]**
* **Elucidation of factors causing fruit rot symptoms due to diseases observed in processing tomatoes during maturation.**
* **Identification of involved fungi and symptoms is expected to be useful for future control measures.**
Processing tomatoes, which are used as raw materials for juices and other products, are required to be produced in large quantities with stable quality. In recent years, due to the aging of producers and for the purpose of stable production, the introduction of mechanized harvesting systems has progressed for processing tomatoes. Mechanized harvesting requires simultaneous harvesting, thus demanding simultaneous ripening (a trait where multiple fruits ripen at once). However, by increasing simultaneous ripening, rot symptoms due to diseases can rapidly progress during the maturation period. Such rot leads to a decrease in productivity and further reduction in yield, which has been a long-standing issue for producers. Furthermore, the detailed mechanism of how these rot symptoms occur, such as which diseases are involved, has not been sufficiently clarified until now.
Therefore, Associate Professor Iida's research group isolated microorganisms from the rotten parts of processing tomato fruits that occurred in domestic fields and analyzed them. As a result, they clarified that multiple filamentous fungi, specifically from the *Colletotrichum* and *Alternaria* genera, are involved in the rot symptoms, and the symptoms are particularly strong in mature fruits. They also found that multiple species within the *Colletotrichum* genus are involved and confirmed the reproduction of characteristic symptoms observed in cultivation fields.
Moving forward, it is expected that this basic information will be utilized to contribute to sustainable agricultural production through the development of disease-resistant varieties for stable production of processing tomatoes and the establishment of new control technologies to prevent yield reduction.
These research results were published in the international academic journal of plant pathology, "European Journal of Plant Pathology" (February 3, 2026).
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-026-03190-w
DOI: 10.1007/s10658-026-03190-w
**[Key Points of This Matter]**
* **Elucidation of factors causing fruit rot symptoms due to diseases observed in processing tomatoes during maturation.**
* **Identification of involved fungi and symptoms is expected to be useful for future control measures.**
Processing tomatoes, which are used as raw materials for juices and other products, are required to be produced in large quantities with stable quality. In recent years, due to the aging of producers and for the purpose of stable production, the introduction of mechanized harvesting systems has progressed for processing tomatoes. Mechanized harvesting requires simultaneous harvesting, thus demanding simultaneous ripening (a trait where multiple fruits ripen at once). However, by increasing simultaneous ripening, rot symptoms due to diseases can rapidly progress during the maturation period. Such rot leads to a decrease in productivity and further reduction in yield, which has been a long-standing issue for producers. Furthermore, the detailed mechanism of how these rot symptoms occur, such as which diseases are involved, has not been sufficiently clarified until now.
Therefore, Associate Professor Iida's research group isolated microorganisms from the rotten parts of processing tomato fruits that occurred in domestic fields and analyzed them. As a result, they clarified that multiple filamentous fungi, specifically from the *Colletotrichum* and *Alternaria* genera, are involved in the rot symptoms, and the symptoms are particularly strong in mature fruits. They also found that multiple species within the *Colletotrichum* genus are involved and confirmed the reproduction of characteristic symptoms observed in cultivation fields.
Moving forward, it is expected that this basic information will be utilized to contribute to sustainable agricultural production through the development of disease-resistant varieties for stable production of processing tomatoes and the establishment of new control technologies to prevent yield reduction.
These research results were published in the international academic journal of plant pathology, "European Journal of Plant Pathology" (February 3, 2026).
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-026-03190-w
DOI: 10.1007/s10658-026-03190-w
FAQ
What fungi are involved in the rot of processing tomatoes?
Multiple filamentous fungi from the Colletotrichum and Alternaria genera have been identified as being involved.
Where were these research results published?
The research results were published in the international academic journal of plant pathology, "European Journal of Plant Pathology".