Production and evaluation of tomato hybrids using diallel genetic design

Abstract

Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops and is known for its versatile uses. Thirty diverse tomato lines were evaluated out of which ten lines were selected on the basis of superior performance and crossed in a diallel fashion. The forty five F1s along with ten parents were evaluated for various horticultural traits and compared to standard hybrid Naveen. On the basis of mean performance and heterosis over better parent, the cross FT-5 x UHF-659 gave the highest positive heterobeltiosis (43.67 per cent) over better parents. The cross AI-9 x UHF-612 was identified as early yielding cross. The heterobeltiotic effect for number of fruits per cluster ranged from -34.39 (EC-15998 x FT-5) to 33.0 percent (FT-5 x UHF-612). AI-9 yielded significantly higher (1347.16 g) than all other parents. The fruit yield among the crosses varied from 764.33 (EC-174023 x UHF-663) to 1808.23 g (AI-9 x Solan Vajr). The parent FT-5 (4.79oB) and the cross combination Solan Vajr x UHF-659 (4.70oB) showed highest total soluble solids content. Solan Vajr, having tallest plants maintained superiority over the parents for harvest duration. Significant heterobeltiotis was observed in desirable direction for all the traits except days to first picking and total soluble solids. The EC-15998 x AI-9, FT-5 x Solan Vajr, AI-9 x Solan Vajr and Solan Vajr x UHF-659 were identified as superior crosses on the basis of mean performance and heterosis.