Genetic diversity among some productive genotypes of tomato (<i>Lycopersicon esculentum </i>Mill.)

Abstract

This research was done at Vegetable Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu during spring and summer seasons, 2007- 2009. D²-statistics revealed that β-carotene contributed maximally towards the genetic divergence followed by ascorbic acid, total soluble solids, alcohol insoluble solids, pericarp thickness, lycopene content and polygalacturonase activity. The 60 genotypes were grouped into 20 clusters. Fourteen (14) clusters were monogenotypic and cluster I possessed highest number of genotypes numbering 25. Out of 20 clusters, cluster VII is promising for minimum polygalacturonase activity and high average fruit weight, cluster VIII had highest number of locules per fruit, fruit yield per plant and yield per hectare and cluster XVII was superior for ascorbic acid. However, cluster XX was found promising for lycopene content, β-carotene and number of fruits per plants. The highest inter cluster D2 values were estimated between clusters XII and XX, followed by clusters XI and XX, clusters VII and XX, and clusters XV and XX, indicating that there is enough scope for the improvement of tomato crop by hybridization and selection.

Key words: Genetic variability, genetic gain, heritability, tomato.