MSc

The present investigation entitled “Evaluation of hybrids of indeterminate tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under protected cultivation” was conducted at the Department of Olericulture, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, during 2015- 2016 with the objective of evaluating the yield and quality of F1 hybrids of indeterminate tomato under protected cultivation.
The experiment was conducted in the saw tooth type naturally ventilated polyhouse of size 480 m2 (30m x 16m) attached to the Department of Olericulture, Vellayani. It was conducted as two parts. In part Ι, the seeds of ten selected superior F1 hybrids were produced in a crossing block. These ten F1 hybrids were selected based on the specific combining ability and per se performance in the previous research programme conducted in the Department of Olericulture. In part ΙΙ, these ten hybrids were evaluated along with their parents and two checks Naveen and Akshaya (one of the parent) in Randomized Block Design with 18 treatments in three replications for two seasons (July 2015 to January 2016 and November 2015 to March 2016).
Analysis of variance showed significant difference between the treatments for all the characters for both the seasons. Pooled analysis revealed that among the hybrids, LE 20 x LE 1 had highest fruit yield plant -1 (2674.54 g) and it was on par with LE 2 x LE 20 (2476.68 g). The fruit characters like fruit length (8.47 cm), fruit girth (17.38 cm) and fruit weight (97.28 g) were also highest for LE 20 x LE 1 whereas the number of fruits plant-1 was highest for LE 2 x LE 39 (87.39). The hybrid LE 2 x LE 20 was the earliest to flower and to fruit set. It also recorded highest pollen viability (78.07 %), fruit set per cent (70.42 %) and fruits truss-1 (5.67). For quality characters, LE 2 x LE 38, LE 2 x LE 39 and LE 2 x LE 1 had highest TSS (Total Soluble Solids) (5.37 %), lycopene (13.10 mg/100g) and ascorbic acid (32.20 mg/100g) respectively. Among the parents, LE 1 had highest fruit length (8.62 cm), fruit girth (16.46 cm), fruit weight (104.94 g), yield plant -1 (1906.93 g) and yield plot-1 (35.79 kg) whereas number of fruits plant -1 was highest for LE 2 (43.45). No insect pest was noticed in the polyhouse for both the seasons.
LE 2 x LE 39 and LE 2 x LE 38 was free from the bacterial wilt incidence for both the seasons. In both the seasons, all the treatments except LE 16, LE 38, LE 39 x LE 38 and LE 2 x LE 38 was free from fruit cracking and all the treatments except LE 17, LE 20 x LE 39 and LE 39 x LE38 was free from blossom end rot. Among the hybrids the incidence of stigma exertion was least in LE 2 x LE 1 and LE 20 x LE 1 (9.52 %).
Correlation studies revealed that, yield plant -1 had a significant positive correlation with fruit set per cent (0.5050), fruits plant -1 (0.4984), fruits truss-1 (0.4744), fruit length (0.3048), fruit girth (0.3193), fruit weight (0.3555) and ascorbic acid (0.4521).
Relative heterosis, heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis over the hybrid and variety were worked out for all yield and quality characters. The highest standard heterosis over the hybrid (Naveen) and the variety (Akshaya) was shown by LE 20 x LE 1 for fruit length (5.36 % ; 38.74 %), fruit girth (21.09 % ; 32.79 %), fruit weight (38.62 % ; 114.53 %), yield plant-1 (157.52 % ; 90.41 %) and yield plot-1 (231.48 % ; 90.58 %) and LE 2 x LE 39 for number of fruits plant -1 (319.77 % ; 147.31 %).
Based on mean performances and standard heterosis, LE 20 x LE 1 and LE 2 x LE 20 were the promising hybrids for yield and yield attributes. They can be recommended for cultivation in naturally ventilated polyhouse after further confirmatory trials.