Genetic control of fruit yield and quality characters in tomato genotypes possessing hp-1, ogc, dg, Aft and rin genes

Abstract

Five inbred lines of tomato possessing one each of the specific genes viz., hp-1, ogc, dg, Aft and rin were crossed in a half diallel fashion to determine the combining ability and gene action of fruit yield/plant, fruit weight and eight important fruit quality characters. Additive genetic component was predominant for TSS, ascorbic acid and anthocyanin contents; both additive and non-additive components was important for fruit yield/plant, fruit weight and lycopene content, and non-additive gene action was overwhelmingly important for pericarp thickness and total sugar content while estimates of both the genetic components was zero for titrable acidity and b-carotene content of fruit. General combining ability effects of the parents corresponded well to their per se performance. Homozygous recessive condition of the genes, hp-1, ogc, dg governed enhanced lycopene content in the fruits. Homozygous Aft/Aft plant had higher anthocyanin content in the fruit than the heterozygous plant indicating additivity of the Aft gene in expressing the character. The hybrid of two widely divergent parent BCT-115 dg/ dg x Alisa Craig Aft/Aft emerged as outstanding for both fruit yield and quality which also opened up the possibility of developing tomato hybrid rich in both lycopene and anthocyanin contents. The hybrid BCT-115 dg/ dg x BCT-111 rin/ rin was also promising for commercial utilization.