Combining ability analysis for fruit yield and quality traits across environments in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Abstract

Twelve parental lines were crossed in line x tester fashion comprising 8 lines and 4 testers at Vegetable Research Scheme, Regional Horticulture Research Station (R.H.R.S.), Navsari to estimate combining ability in tomato for fruit yield, yield components and fruit quality traits. Combining ability analysis revealed that both additive and non additive gene actions were important for fruit yield and its related traits. However, magnitude of additive gene action was comparatively larger than that of non additive gene action for fruit yield and its component traits. None of the parents exhibited desirable gca effects for all the traits in individual as well as in pooled over environments. However, overall ranking of genotypes revealed that the parents viz., AVTO-7, AVTO-5, JTL-12-12, GT-2 and JT-3 were good general combiners for fruit yield and its contributing characters. The cross AVTO-5 x GT-2 having the maximum sca effect for fruit yield also had high sca effect for titrable acidity and non-reducing sugar per cent.