Magnitude of heterosis in interspecific F1’s for ToLCV, earliness, yield and quality traits in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the heterosis in tomato for ToLCV, yield and quality traits, using the line x tester mating design between ToLCV resistance line S. pimpinellifolium EC-520074, EC-520077 and Solanum lycopersicum L. line H-88-78-1. Heterotic hybrids were exhibited significant and positive heterosis ranging from -85.13% (PBC x EC- 520077) to -37.69 (Sel.7 x EC-519730) for ToLCV resistance. However, in earliness significant and negative heterosis was recorded for days to 50% flowering ranging from -45.25%(Sel.7 x H-88-78- 1) to -6.11 (DVRT-2 x EC-520077), for days to 50% fruit set ranging from -30.09% (Sel.7 x H-88- 78-1) to -11.42 (DVRT-2 x H-88-78-1). In yield components, maximum to minimum heterosis was observed for plant height from 85.78% (PBC x EC-520077) to 3.82% (Sel.7 x EC-519730), for number of primary branches from 79.94% (Co-3 x H-88-78-1) to 0.17% (CO-3 X EC-520077), for per cent fruit set from 10.28 % (Sel.7 X EC-520077), for number of fruit per plant ranging from Co-3 x H-88-78-1 (129.90 %) to -5.93% (H-24 x EC-519730), for fruit weight found in 22.17% (Co-3 x H-88-78-1), for fruit length -49.98 % (Sel-7 X EC-520074) to -0.29 % (DVRT-2 X EC- 519730), 157.36 % (PBC x EC-520074) to 8.40 (Sel-7 X EC-520074), for yield per plant (kg). The quality traits, significant and negative heterosis ranged from -63.26% (DVRT-2 x EC-520077) to - 16.49 (H-24 x H-88-78-1) in number of locules per fruit, -43.25 % (Co-3 x EC-519730) for number of seed per fruit, 43.57 % (Co-3 x EC-520074) in phenol, 42.34 % (PBC x EC-519730) in lycopene and -27.54 % (DVRT-2 x EC-520074) to 50.44 % (H-24 x EC-520077) total soluble solids.