Source: AgriBusiness Global (September 7, 2026). AI-generated summary by biochip.com, published . Not independently reviewed.
Key takeaways
- Jingfan Chip 1.0 contains nearly 5,000 tomato genetic loci selected from more than 1,100 inbred lines.
- Developers reported a 99.12 percent detection rate, 99.85 percent repeatability, and a 72-hour experimental run.
- The launch does not establish adoption rates or breeding outcomes from using the chip in commercial tomato programs.
China has released Jingfan Chip 1.0, a solid-phase gene chip designed specifically to help breeders develop tomatoes more quickly and with less reliance on imported molecular breeding platforms. The platform contains nearly 5,000 genetic loci, or known locations in the tomato genome where DNA differences can be measured. Those markers cover traits central to commercial tomato development, including yield, fruit quality, pest and disease resistance, and tolerance of environmental stress. Beijing Tongzhou International Seed Industry Technology, the Vegetable Research Institute of the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Suzhou Laso Biochip Technology, and other partners developed the chip. The group says it controls the technology chain from chips and reagents to scanners and analysis software through domestic intellectual property. Jingfan Chip 1.0 is intended to support breeders from initial genetic-resource screening through variety identification and protection. Its arrival reflects a wider Chinese effort to build control over the genomic tools that shape the earliest stages of crop improvement.
A DNA shortcut for tomato breeders
Traditional plant breeding is often a long exercise in observation. Breeders cross plants, grow large populations, and repeatedly select those that appear to carry useful traits over several generations. A DNA chip works more like a searchable barcode reader: instead of waiting for every characteristic to become visible in a field or greenhouse, breeders can examine selected genetic markers in young plants.
Jingfan Chip 1.0 is a solid-phase gene chip, meaning DNA samples are tested against many fixed genetic probes arranged on a physical chip. Each probe is designed to recognize a DNA variant at a particular locus. The resulting pattern can help a breeding team distinguish plants, assess their genetic diversity, and identify candidates likely to carry valuable inherited characteristics.
Built from more than 1,100 inbred lines
The nearly 5,000 markers in Jingfan Chip 1.0 were selected using more than 1,100 tomato inbred lines. An inbred line is a genetically uniform plant line created through repeated self-pollination or closely controlled breeding. Such lines are fundamental raw material for hybrid tomato breeding because their predictable genetics help breeders create and compare new crosses.
Using a large collection of inbred lines gives the platform a broad genetic base for its intended breeding applications. The markers span commercially meaningful categories, from productivity and quality to resistance against pests and diseases and the ability to withstand difficult environmental conditions. This breadth matters because tomato breeding rarely targets a single trait: a high-yielding plant still must produce marketable fruit and perform reliably under disease pressure or heat, drought, and other stresses.
Performance and the domestic technology chain
The developers reported a 99.12 percent detection rate and 99.85 percent detection repeatability for the chip. Detection rate describes how consistently the system obtains usable calls at its target genetic markers, while repeatability indicates whether repeated tests return the same result. High repeatability is particularly important in breeding, where a wrong genetic call can send a program toward the wrong parent or cause it to discard a promising plant.
A single experimental run can be completed within 72 hours, the developers said. They also positioned the platform as an end-to-end domestic system, covering the scanner hardware, chip, reagents, software algorithms, and associated intellectual property. Reagents are the chemicals used to process and detect DNA, while algorithms turn raw measurement signals into genetic results that breeders can use.
Eight uses across the breeding pipeline
Jingfan Chip 1.0 is designed for eight major applications. These include precise identification of germplasm resources, genetic diversity analysis, molecular marker-assisted breeding, genomic selection breeding, variety identification and protection, genetically modified component detection, identification of essentially derived varieties, and genome-wide association analysis with quantitative trait locus mapping.
Germplasm is the living genetic material breeders draw on to create new crops, including seeds and breeding lines. Genetic diversity analysis can show how closely related plant materials are, helping breeders choose parents that bring different strengths to a cross. Variety identification can also help distinguish named commercial varieties, while essentially derived variety identification addresses plants that are predominantly derived from another protected variety.
From markers to selection decisions
Marker-assisted breeding uses a DNA marker linked to a desired trait to guide selection. Think of it as using a road sign before reaching the destination: the marker does not necessarily cause the trait, but it can point breeders toward plants more likely to carry it. That can reduce the number of plants that must be advanced into later and more costly field testing.
Genomic selection takes a broader approach by using many markers across the genome to estimate a plant's likely breeding value. Genome-wide association analysis and quantitative trait locus, or QTL, mapping help researchers connect inherited DNA regions with observable traits. Together, these methods can link the discovery of useful genetic patterns to practical choices about which plants should become parents or be retained in a breeding program.
Why This Matters
Imported platforms have helped bring molecular analysis into crop improvement, but reliance on overseas chips and related equipment can leave breeders exposed to supply constraints, costs, restricted technology access, and uncertainty around future upgrades. A domestically controlled platform could give Chinese organizations more flexibility to adapt marker panels, software, and workflows for local tomato germplasm and breeding priorities.
The value is not simply faster testing. If widely adopted, a common platform could make molecular breeding workflows more consistent across organizations and build larger, more comparable tomato genetics datasets. That could help integrate genomic information more directly into commercial breeding decisions, from evaluating inherited resources to protecting finished varieties.
What comes next
Tomatoes are Jingfan Chip 1.0's immediate focus, but the launch signals a broader ambition to build homegrown genetic infrastructure for crop improvement. The important next question is how breeders use the platform in real selection programs and whether it becomes a shared technical foundation across the seed industry. For now, the chip gives Chinese tomato breeding programs a domestically developed option for reading genetic variation at scale, with the potential to connect laboratory data more tightly to the plants that eventually reach farms and markets.