# Breeding vegetables for whitefly resistance: past, present, and future in the AI era

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how vegetable breeding for whitefly resistance has evolved over time, from traditional methods to modern AI-driven approaches, aiming to develop climate-resilient crops.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the integration of AI and multi-omics in modern breeding for durable whitefly resistance, offering a roadmap for future research.

## Key findings

- AI tools like machine learning and hyperspectral diagnostics are accelerating the identification and deployment of whitefly resistance traits.
- Combining classical genetics with modern biotechnology and AI improves the development of climate-resilient vegetable cultivars.
- Durable resistance reduces insecticide use and stabilizes yields under climate stress and whitefly population surges.

## Abstract

Whiteflies, particularly Bemisia tabaci—a rapidly evolving cryptic species complex comprising more than 40 biotypes including the invasive MEAM1 and MED—and Trialeurodes vaporariorum, remain among the most destructive pests of global vegetable production. Their adaptability, wide host range, and efficient virus transmission drive recurrent epidemics in crops such as tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucurbits, and snapbean. Over six decades, breeding for whitefly resistance has progressed from phenotypic selection to the identification of resistance mechanisms such as antibiosis, antixenosis, and tolerance, and to the exploitation of diverse sources from wild relatives and landraces. Recent advances in QTL mapping, pangenomics, multi-omics integration, genomic selection, and CRISPR-based modification of metabolic and structural defense traits have transformed the landscape of resistance breeding. Emerging AI-enabled tools—including machine-learning models for automated whitefly phenotype detection, hyperspectral stress diagnostics, and predictive modelling of resistance loci—are accelerating the dissection and deployment of complex traits. Importantly, durable whitefly resistance enhances climate resilience by reducing dependence on insecticides, stabilizing yields under abiotic–biotic stress combinations, and mitigating climate-driven surges in whitefly populations and virus epidemics. By integrating classical genetics, modern biotechnology, multi-omics, and AI-driven decision frameworks, breeding programs can more rapidly develop robust, climate-resilient vegetable cultivars capable of withstanding evolving whitefly threats.

Timeline infographic illustrating the progression of whitefly resistance breeding from 1897 to the future. Key milestones include the early recognition of pests, discovery of resistance, molecular breeding advancements, and the AI era. It details significant events like the first report of *B. tabaci* in Florida in 1897, resistance discoveries in South America and Asia, genomic advancements from 2015 to 2025, and future AI-guided breeding pipelines. The focus is on global efforts in managing whitefly as pests and developing resistant cultivars, highlighting regions such as the USA, Europe, China, and South America.