Tomato sweetness boosted by gene editing to knock out two genes

Genetically editing sugar-regulating genes increases tomato sweetness, without affecting yield or size. The findings break a long-standing challenge in tomato breeding: balancing taste and productivity, thereby offering potential benefits for both consumers and growers.

Large-fruited commercial tomatoes often have lower sugar content, a consequence of distributing nutrients across larger fruit. Sweeter tomatoes are preferred by consumers and processors are prepared to pay more for them as their increased sugar content reduces the amount of raw material needed for products like tomato sauce.