GENETIC DIVERSITY ANALYSIS OF YIELD AND YIELD CONTRIBUTING TRAITS OF TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Abstract

This study was conducted using twenty tomato genotypes to assess the performance of yield and yield related characters during the period from November, 2022 to April, 2023. Analysis of variance was noticed highly significant of differences for all the studied characters. Phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was recorded higher for all the parameters than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), suggesting environmental influences on the exposure of all the traits. High heritability was found for all the characters. High heritability along with high genetic advance in percent of mean was noted for no of branches per plant, clusters per plant, flowers per cluster, fruits per cluster, fruits per plant, fruit weight fruit length, fruit diameter, and fruit yield per plant, indicating the presence of additive gene action and suggesting that, there is a possibility of simple selection based on those character in further breeding. The correlation coefficient showed that, fruit yield per plant had positive and significant correlation with fruits per plant (G=0.85, P=0.82), fruit weight (G=0.76, P= 0.74), fruit length (G=57, P=55), fruit diameter (G=0.79, P=0.76). The path coefficient analysis revealed that, days to first flowering (3.427), fruits per cluster (0.139), fruits per plant (1.426), fruit weight (0.239), and fruit diameter (0.572) had positive and direct effect on the fruit yield per plant. Cluster analysis of the twenty tomato genotypes produce three different clusters. Cluster I, cluster II, cluster III had the six, five and nine genotypes, respectively. Cluster II was found to present the highest value for intra-cluster distance (3.85) and the maximum inter-cluster distance was noted between the cluster I and cluster III, which is (6.98). Considering the magnitude of cluster mean and agronomic performances of the tomato genotypes, from the cluster III, G7 (BD-7276) for minimum plant height, G4 (BD-7265) for maximum weight of fruit, G8 (BD-7277) for minimum days to first flowering, days to 50% flowering, and days to maturity; and from the cluster II G18 (BARI- 17) for clusters per plant, flowers per cluster, fruits per cluster, fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter, and fruit yield per plant could be selected for further breeding program.