Estimation of heterosis for yield and yield attributing traits in tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.)

An investigation was carried out to evaluate the 36 genotypes (28 F1 and parental lines) of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) at Main Experimental Station, Department of Vegetable Science, A.N.D. University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P.) during season 2019-20 and 2020-2021. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Eight parents (NDT-2-2 (P1), NDT-7 (P2), Kashi Aman (P3), NDT-4 (P4), NDT-5 (P5), Arka Vikas (P6), S5×NDT-3-2-1-1 (P7) and 2013/TODVAR-2-1-1 (P8) were crossed in diallel mating design (without reciprocals). The resultant 28 F1’s were evaluated along with their parents including one standard checks (Kashi Aman) for seventeen characters including total fruit yield. Studies on heterosis revealed that majority of the hybrids exhibited heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis in desirable direction. The potential crosses viz., P5 x P6, P1 x P7 in Y1,P2 x P6 in Y2 and P1 x P6 in pooled, exhibited high standard heterosis and high per se performance for fruit yield per plant, which offers scope for commercial exploitation through heterosis breeding.