Genetic studies of genotypes under protected cultivation and in vitro multiplication of hybrids in tomato Solanum lycopersicum L

Abstract

newline newlineThe present investigation entitled Genetic studies of genotypes under protected cultivation and in vitro multiplication of hybrids in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) was undertaken in the Experimental Farm-I and Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory of the Division of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, FoA, SKUAST, Chatha, Jammu during 2018-2021. The study was completed in two parts viz., field studies and in vitro studies. newlineBased on the field evaluation of 24 genotypes under low cost poly house for different traits, three genotypes namely EC 521038, IIHR 2042 and Arka Abha were found to be high yielders with regard to fruit yield per plant. High heritability and high genetic advance as per cent of mean was recorded for most of the traits except fruit shape index and days to fifty per cent flowering. The average fruit weight had the highest direct and positive effect on fruit yield per plant followed by fruit polar diameter, fruit set percentage, number of flowers per cluster, number of fruits per plant and TSS. newlineGenetic diversity analysis grouped parental genotypes into four diverse clusters. Maximum inter cluster distance was observed between cluster II and cluster IV suggesting hybridization could be done among genotypes of these clusters. Combining ability studies included crossing 15 lines and 3 testers in L × T mating design to develop 45 hybrids and their further evaluation along with parents and check (Arka Rakshak). On the basis of mean performance, sca effects and standard heterosis, three cross combinations namely Arka Abha x EC 521038, Roma x EC 521038 and Punjab Varkha Bahar-4 x EC 521038 were found to be promising for the growth and yield traits. Pusa Ruby × EC 521038 and CLN 2123-A1 Red x Punjab Sartaj were found to be promising for quality traits. newline In order to compare the performance of selected in vitro multiplied hybrids with conventionally raised seedling, standardisation of shoot multiplication protocol for three tomato commercial hybrids viz., Arka Rakshak, PTH-1 and BSS-488 was