Dish of the Day

At the Faculty of Agriculture of Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), a research project conducted by Pakistani doctoral student Momna Mehmood aims to develop tomato varieties that are more resistant to drought.

The research, carried out by Momna Mehmood, a PhD student in the Department of Biotechnology under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Musa Kavas, a faculty member of the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology at the OMU Faculty of Agriculture, seeks to develop solutions to the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture. In particular, the study focuses on the drought tolerance mechanisms of tomato plants, whose production has become increasingly difficult due to decreasing water resources.

Within the scope of the study, a special tomato line named “J-03,” previously developed through a gene-editing method, is being examined. The research investigates which genes these tomatoes activate under drought conditions, how they respond to stress, and what differences they show compared with other plants. The project aims to reveal the biological mechanisms that increase drought tolerance by comparing conventional tomato plants with gene-edited lines. Through laboratory analyses and measurements conducted on the plants, responses to drought stress are being examined in detail. The data obtained from the study are expected to contribute to the development of agricultural crops that can grow with less water and are more resilient to climate change in the future.

“We aim to implement modifications to reduce water loss”

Prof. Dr. Musa Kavas, who provided information on the study, stated that drought is one of the most important risks affecting tomato production. Kavas said: “There are many factors that affect tomato production, and the most important among them is drought. In recent years, major changes have occurred in rainfall patterns due to global warming. In our country as well, declines in crop production have been observed because of decreasing rainfall. Especially when tomatoes are produced in open fields, production is largely dependent on rainfall, and significant yield losses occur during drought periods. Although tomatoes can be irrigated, they still depend on natural precipitation to a considerable extent; therefore, drought remains one of the most important factors affecting production. In our laboratory, we are currently conducting genome editing projects. In my doctoral student’s study, we are making modifications to improve certain genes already present in tomatoes. We are using the genome editing technique known as CRISPR. Our main goal is to enable tomatoes to use water more efficiently and to absorb more water from the soil. In this context, we aim both to modify root structures and to implement adjustments that reduce water loss from leaves. In some of our previous studies, we obtained successful results. By making modifications in different genes, we observed that increasing the number of roots makes tomatoes more resistant to drought. Our primary objective is to develop a tomato that can tolerate stress without a decline in production.”

Pakistani OMU doctoral student Momna Mehmood, who is conducting the research, said: “If this project succeeds, it will represent something entirely new for tomatoes. It will make a very important contribution to the scientific literature.”