Vegetable crops in the Mediterranean basin with an overview of virus resistance

Abstract

The Mediterranean area (MA) produces about 12% of the world vegetables both for local consumption and for export. With an average consumption of 242 kg per person and per year (and almost 400 kg in Turkey), vegetables are an important part of the Mediterranean diet. Vegetables are cultivated using different cultivation techniques (for instance, open field or protected), and the importance of viruses varies greatly between these growing conditions. Breeding virus-resistant cultivars is a key component of an integrated pest management strategy. The origin and the diversity of the main vegetables are presented with the sources of virus resistance. The center of origin of most vegetables is not in the MA: for instance, tomato, potato, pepper, bean, squash and pumpkin, and sweetpotato have been introduced from the American continent. Very few original sources of resistance against viruses have been described in local landraces from the MA.