GENETIC DIVERSITY OF YIELD AND QUALITY TRAITS IN TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with 19 genotypes of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) at experiment field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207 in completely randomized design (CRD) to study the genetic diversity, variability, correlation and path coefficient analysis using yield and quality traits during November 2016 to May 2017. Analysis of variance for agromorphogenic and quality traits showed significant differences among the genotypes. GCV and PCV were close to each other for all the characters except no. flower per cluster in case of yield and pH content in qualitative traits indicating the minor environmental influence on the expression of these characters. High heritability associated with high genetic advance in percent of mean was observed in no. of fruit per cluster, fruit per plant, fruit weight for yield and lycopene content at 502 nm, vitamin C content and dry matter content % pointed out that selection for these characters would be effective. The significant positive correlation with fruit yield per plant was found in no. of fruit per cluster, fruit per plant and lycopene content at 472 nm, brix %, vitamin C in qualitative traits pointed that selection on the basis of these traits would improve yield ultimately. Path coefficient analysis evidenced that no. of fruit per cluster, fruit weight; fruit per plant had the positive direct effect on yield per plant. In qualitative analysis brix %, lycopene content at 472 nm, vitamin C content had the positive direct effect on dry matter content %. Therefore, importance has to be given for these characters in further breeding program to improve tomato yield and nutritional value. Multivariate analysis based on eleven characters in yield and eight characters in qualitative traits of nineteen tomato genotypes was divided into four distant clusters in both cases. The maximum contribution of agromorphogenic traits towards diversity was observed by days to first flowering, plant height, days to maturity, no. of cluster per plant and no. of flower per cluster. Maximum contribution found in qualitative traits from brix %, vitamin C, pH, lycopene content at 472 nm and 502 nm. As a result, these traits could be emphasized during selection of parents for hybridization. The highest inter cluster distance was observed between cluster III and IV and for qualitative traits cluster IV and cluster I showed maximum distance. The maximum intra cluster distance was found in cluster IV in both traits. Considering group distance and other agro-morphogenic and qualitative performance, genotypes G 2 (SL006), G 4 (SL-008), G 8 (Sl-013), and G 18 (BARI Tomato 11) found potential for future hybridization program in response of increase tomato yield