Combining Ability And Heterosis Studies In Tomato Under Bacterial Wilt Condition

Abstract

Thirteen diverse lines of tomato were crossed with three testers in line x tester mating fashion to study combining ability effects and heterosis for plant height, number of primary branches per plant, fruit weight, bacterial wilt incidence and yield per plant during rabi season of 2005-06 at Horticultural Research Farm, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, (Meghalaya), India. The analysis of variance revealed the predominance of non-additive gene action for all the traits. In respect of both gca & sca effects, the parents and hybrids differed significantly. Among the parents, Sel-2 and BT-117-5-3-1 were the best general combiners for yield per plant and other characters under study, and these may be used as valuable donors in the hybridization programme for producing promising combinations in bacterial wilt prone areas. Among the crosses, BT- 207 × KT-15, Type-I × KT-15, and FEB-2 × BT-117-5-3-l were the most valuable combiners for yield per plant and other characters under study could be utilized for bacterial wilt resistant breeding programmes. The highest heterotic effect over better parent was also exhibited by the cross Type-1 × KT-15 for yield per plant and plant height under bacterial wilt condition.

Keywords: Combining ability; heterosis; tomato; bacterial wilt.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v36i2.9259

BJAR 2011; 36(2): 313-318