Performance of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Genotypes for Earliness and Yield Traits in Late Kharif and Summer Season under North Eastern Region of Uttar Pradesh, India

Aims: This preliminary study's goal was to assess how well tomato genotypes performed in the north-eastern region of Uttar Pradesh in terms of earliness, yield, and quality traits in order to be used later in the production of hybrids with desirable characteristics.

Study Design: Randomized Block Design.

Place and Duration of Study: The current study was carried out at the Vegetable Research Farm of the ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (ICAR-IIVR), Varanasi, during the years 2015-16 in both the consecutive seasons (late Kharif & summer).

Methodology: The current study was carried out at the Vegetable Research Farm of the ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (ICAR-IIVR), Varanasi 14 genotypes.. All the plant materials were grown on raised beds in the experimental plots of tomato breeding unit of ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi during late Kharif and summer season in the year 2015–2016. In both seasons, about 30 days old healthy seedlings grow in a nursery under net house and transplanted in a 4.50 x 1.20 m raised bed with a spacing of 60 x 45 cm in a Randomized Block Design with three replications in field. To grow a healthy harvest, a standard set of good agricultural practices of tomato was used. During the cropping season, no insecticides were used to protect the whitefly Population, allowing for maximal tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) spread and severe disease occurrence. Five plants from each plot were randomly tagged and observations recorded on days to first flowering, days to 50% flowering, number of leaves before truss, days to first ripening, number fruits/ plant, Average fruit weight, fruit yield/ plant, flesh thickness, TSS, texture and Lycopene content.. The data collected on different parameters during the course of investigation were subjected to statistical analysis as per method of analysis of variance (Panse and Sukhatme 1985).

Results: The genotype EC 538411 was showed earliness and take minimum days to first ripening than others and H-88-78-2 was late in all the traits related to earliness in both season. The highest yield per plot (kg.) was recorded in Punjab Barkha Bahar- 1 (49.73, 25.84) in the both season, respectively. The mean values of Genotypes for flesh thickness (mm.) ranged from 4.37 (H-88-78-2) to 6.27 (VRT-2103-1-8) and 4.07 (H-88-78-2) to 05.99 (VRT-2103-6-1 and D-2-2-3) for season I and season II, With respect to TSS0 Brix, The maximum TSS0 Brix was recorded Genotypes D-2-2-3 (7.47 and 7.53) during the both season respectively. The early maturity and high yield genotype was desirable character for a good variety. So that, those parent which exhibited early maturity and good yielder may be used for development of hybrids.

Conclusion: The genotypes EC 538411, EC 538411, and VRT-2103-1-4 are recommended as parents for earliness, Punjab Barkha Bahar-1 and D-2-2-3 for yield, and VRT-2103-6-1 and D-2-2-3 for yield and quality traits. These parents could be utilized to breed hybrids with desirable characteristics.