Chapter-I

INTRODUCTION
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop grown throughout

the world. Botanically, tomato is a diploid with somatic chromosome number 24 (2n)

belonging to family Solanaceae, the nightshade family of common vegetables, which

also includes chili, peppers, potato, etc. The genus Solanum consists of annual or

short lived herbaceous plants. Depending on its growth habit, tomato has been

categorized as determinate and indeterminate types. Tomato is a typical day neutral

plant and is mainly self-pollinated, but a certain percentage of cross-pollination also

occurs. It is a warm season crop reasonably resistant to heat and drought and grows

under wide range of soil and climatic conditions.

It is native of America and was not until around the 16th century that Europeans

introduced this fruit when the early explorers set sail to discover new lands.

Nineteenth century plant explorers in India noted the plant to be very common,

highly variable and growing as a cultivated crop as well as an escape. These

materials formed the base of the first indigenous selections released as improved

cultivars in the middle of the 20th century.

Tomato ranks third in priority after Potato and Onion in India but ranks second after

potato in the world. India ranks second in the area as well as in production of tomato

after China (FAOSTAT, 2013). The major tomato growing countries are China

(28%), India (11%), USA (9%), Turkey (7%), etc. Total area under tomato is 45,

82,438 thousand ha with Global tomato production and consumption of 37 million

 Introduction

tons and 35 million tons respectively and productivity of 32.8 tons/ha. The acreage,

production and productivity of tomato in India is 907.05 thousand hectares, 18.65

million tons and 19.5 tons/ha, respectively (National Horticulture Board, 2013). The

state with highest production is Andhra Pradesh with a share of 32.25% and Uttar

Pradesh having a share of 1.42%.

Tomato is highly valued for minerals and vitamins as it is an important source of

lycopene (an antioxidant), ascorbic acid and β carotene and valued for their colour

and flavour. It is one of the important raw materials for multimillion food industries.

It’s direct use as raw vegetable to prepare in curries, stews, salads, fresh tomato

juices as well as its soups and to make chutney have made it very popular (Bose et

al., 2002). Tomato fruit provide 3-4 ℅ sugar and total soluble solid in tomato ranges

from 4-7℅. It contains 15-30 mg/100 g ascorbic acid, 7.5-10 mg/100 mL titrable

acids, 20-50 mg/100 g lycopene per fruit weight (Handbook of Horticulture, 2009).

Tomato is a premier vegetable crop of round the year and but the production and

productivity of this crop in India is far below as compared to global scenario.

Considering the potentiality of this crop, there is a need for improvement and to

develop varieties suited to specific agro-ecological conditions and also for specific

end use. Efforts are being made to increase its productivity and quality by

developing improved varieties. A thorough knowledge regarding the amount of

genetic variability existing for various characters is essential for initiating the crop

improvement programme. With limited variability much cannot be achieved and the

breeder will have to enrich the germplasm or resort to create greater variability

through hybridization, mutation and polyploidy breeding.

2
 Introduction

Germplasm is a prerequisite for any breeding programme; serves as a valuable

source material as it provides scope for building of genetic variability. Progress in

any breeding programme depends upon the magnitude of useful variability present in

the population and the extent to which the desirable characters are heritable. Study of

variability, heritability and genetic advance in the germplasm will help to ascertain

the real potential value of the genotypes. Lack of variability has been thought to be

one of the important reasons for the slow progress witnessed in making any

significant gains by crop breeding. Though there is considerable variability in the

crop, much of it may be in the form of conserved variability in view of their

autogamous nature providing little scope for the shuffling of genes. The study and

utilization of existing variability becomes highly essential.

Genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation are useful in detecting the nature

and magnitude of variability present in the available genotype. Heritability and

genetic advance help in determining the influence of environment in expression of

the character and the extent to which improvement is possible after selection

(Robinson et al., 1949). The efficiency of selection in any breeding programme

mainly depends upon the knowledge of association of the characters. So, it is

necessary to ascertain the interrelationships among different traits and with yield too.

Yield is a complex trait so its direct improvement is difficult. It is subjected to the

environmental fluctuation and is the end product of the interactions of various

characters. Therefore, it is necessary to find out the direct and indirect effects of

component traits on yield, for preparation of an efficient improvement strategy.

3
 Introduction

Wright (1921) gave path-coefficient analysis, which provides an effective measure

of direct and indirect association of character contributing towards the yield.

The success of a systematic breeding programme depends mainly on judicious

selection of promising parents from the gene pool. According to Comstock and

Robinson (1952), selection is the essential facet of most of the breeding programmes

and new population is developed from the selected material. The knowledge

regarding the coefficient of variability, heritability and genetic advance, nature and

magnitude of correlation and path-coefficient analysis among various characters

helps the breeders in deciding the appropriate breeding procedures to increase the

genetic potentialities as well as to make a dent in the yield barrier.

Therefore, present investigation, ‘Genetic variability, correlations and path-

coefficient analysis in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)’ has been undertaken in

order to fulfill following objectives:

i. To estimate the phenotypic and genotypic variability present in the tomato

varieties for yield and quality traits,

ii. To estimate the heritability and genetic advance for yield and quality traits,

iii. To study the trait association with the help of correlation coefficient analysis,

iv. To find out direct and indirect effects of selected yield contributing traits on

yield with path-coefficient analysis.