Key message <p>Viral vector-mediated gene editing is enhanced for cultivated tomato under low temperature conditions, enabling higher mutation rates, heritable, and virus-free gene editing for efficient breeding.</p> Abstract <p>The CRISPR/Cas system, a versatile gene-editing tool, has revolutionized plant breeding by enabling precise genetic modifications. The development of robust and efficient genome-editing tools for crops is crucial for their application in plant breeding. In this study, we highly improved virus-induced genome-editing (VIGE) system for cultivated tomato. Vectors of tobacco rattle virus (TRV) and potato virus X (PVX) were used to deliver sgRNA targeting <i>phytoene desaturase</i> (<i>SlPDS</i>), along with mobile RNA sequences of tFT or tRNA^Ileu, into Cas9-overexpressing cultivated tomato (<i>S. lycopersicum</i> cv. Moneymaker). Our results demonstrate that low temperature significantly enhanced viral vector-mediated gene editing efficiency in both cotyledons and systemic upper leaves. However, no mutant progeny was obtained from TRV- and PVX301-infected MM-Cas9 plants. To address this challenge, we employed tissue culture techniques and found that low-temperature incubations at the initiation stage of tissue culture lead to enhanced editing efficiency in both vectors, resulting in a higher mutation rate (&gt; 70%) of <i>SlPDS</i> in regenerated plants. Heritable gene-edited and virus-free progenies were successfully identified. This study presents a straightforward approach to enhance VIGE efficiency and the expeditious production of gene-edited lines in tomato breeding.</p>