GENETIC VARIABILITY FOR MORPHO-AGRONOMIC AND NUTRITIONAL TRAITS IN TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka. during November 2012 to April 2013. Nineteen genotypes of tomato (Solwzu'n Ivopersicun, L.) were studied in the present study. The objectives of the study were diversity and biochemical analysis of tomato to assess the magnitude of genetic divergence in genotypes, association among the characters and their contribution to yield and quality. The analysis of variance indicated significantly higher amount of variability among the genotypes for all the characters. Considering genetic parameters high genotypic co-efficient of variation (GCV) was observed for average fruit weight, fruit per cluster, fruit per plant and fruit yield per plant whereas days to first flowering, days to 50% flowering and days to maturity showed low CCV. High heritability with high genetic advance in percent of mean was observed for number of fruits per cluster, number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight and fruit yield per plant indicating that these traits were under additive gene control and selection for genetic improvement for these traits would be effective. The results obtained, showed that fruit yield per plant had high positive significant relation with fruit weight, but high negative significant relation with days to first flowering, days to maturity, number of fruit per clusters and number of fruit per plant. Days to 50% flowering, number of branches per plant, fruit weight and fruit length had high positively direct effect on yield of tomato. So, these are found to be important characters and could be used on direct selection for yield. Considering all the characters, 04, 06. (39, G18 and Gig can be selected for future breeding program. Lycopene content of samples from genotype C2, G4 (is, Gs and Gig showed very high lycopene content at both absorbance 472 nm and 502 nm. 01 and genotype have very high Vitamin C content. Cc and Gg genotypes having high brix content indicated that they could be recommending to the farmers for cultivation and could be used for future breeding program to obtain healthy and for protective tomatoes against diseases