Evaluation of tomato hybrids under agro-climatic condition of Prayagraj (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Introduction

The self-pollinating tomato crop (Solanum lycopersicum L.) contains 12 chromosome pairs as a diploid species (2n = 24) and people grow them across approximately 3000 species worldwide. Among twelve wild species in the "Lycopersicon" genus stands the single domesticated tomato plant which is Solanum lycopersicum. Self-incompatible wild tomatoes show extensive genetic diversity through species like Solanum chilense and Solanum peruvianum which have their origin on South American land between the Andes and the Nile Sea (Jenkins, 1948). Raw salads contain ripe tomato fruits which serve as the base for various processed food products including paste, puree, powder and whole fruit cans and ketchup and sauce. The production of chutney and pickles starts with using unripe green fruits. Among all vegetable crops worldwide the tomato stands in second position behind potatoes, and it maintains the third position in India behind potatoes and onions. India ranked as the world's second-largest tomato producer and second largest holder of tomato cultivating land after China. The National Horticultural Board reports that India produces tomatoes on 0.81 million hectares through which 20.51 million tons are obtained each year at 21.13 t/ha productivity (NHB, 2018-19). Due to its impressive heterosis capabilities the tomato can achieve uniform growth alongside resistance traits alongside overall better production and earlier maturation. Hybrid tomato varieties produced from high input agricultural systems will continue to dominate the market while showing potential expansion in specific lower input systems that demonstrate advantages. The commercial approval of new hybrids depends on their performance exceeding existing cultivated varieties. [9] . Similar observation was also made by Kumar et al. (2018) [13] , Parmar et al. (2018) [11] in different tomato cultivars.

No. of Primary & branches

The assessment at 30 days after sowing revealed 4.69 branches per plant as the mean value which ranged between 4.20 (TMTH 255) and 6. [14] . Similar finding was matched the data reported by Kumar et al.

Yield parameters Days to first flowering

The [9] . Singh et al. (2014) [19] along with Lekshmi and Celine (2015) [8] and Raja Naik et al. (2018) [10] documented comparable day-to-flowering durations in their research of diverse tomato hybrid types.

Days to 50% flowering

The [22] across different tomato cultivars.

No. of flowers per cluster

The number of flowers per cluster within the experimental tomato hybrids showed TMTH 255 yielded mean value of 5.27 flowers as the minimum while TMTH 2256 achieved the maximum mean of 8.33 flowers. The total mean value across all hybrids measured 6.44. TMTH 2256 surpassed the check hybrid Abhilash by 1.80 flowers per cluster based on its mean value of 6.53 flowers per cluster. Favourable weather conditions lead hybrid seeds to develop increased yields when more flower clusters appear on each plant. These research results support the observations from Mounica et al. (2022) [9] . The research by Cheema et al.

(2013) [23] along with Hossain et al. (2014) demonstrated identical outcomes regarding flower cluster counts in tomato hybrids.

No. of fruits per cluster

The number of fruit clusters observed in tomato hybrids varies because of the maximum number of fruit setting potential within each hybrid. An assessment of different tomato hybrid clusters revealed TMTH 255 had the least average number of fruits at 3.73 per cluster and TMTH 2256 maintained the most at 6.40 fruits per cluster. All hybrids combined produced an average of 4.61 fruits per cluster. The data indicates TMTH 2256 produced noticeably more fruits per cluster than check hybrid Abhilash because it surpassed Abhilash's 4.47 fruits per cluster with 1.93 additional fruits per cluster. Prasad et al. (2019) [12] supported these results which align with previous research by and Cheema et al. (2013) [23] in hybrid tomatoes.

No. of flower cluster per plant

Flower cluster number on each plant represents a key factor for determining total yield quantity. A higher cluster number per plant typically results in higher fruit production under favourable environmental conditions. The flower cluster data showed TMTH 291 had a minimum count of 13 [22] have reported findings similar to these observations. [9] . Similar findings were observed by Sharma and Sharma (2012) [15] .

Days taken for first harvesting

Average fruit (gm)

Significant variation was found among the genotypes based on the average fruit weight data for the tomato hybrids under evaluation. In comparison to the other hybrids, TMTH 222 had the smallest mean fruit weight, weighing 52.78 g.

Given their potential to produce larger and more marketable fruits, TMTH 2256 had the highest mean fruit weight (88.00 g), closely followed by TMTH 275 (86.75 g). All hybrids combined had a mean (par value) of 79.02 g. Compared to TMTH 2256 and TMTH 275, the check hybrid Abhilash had a lower average fruit weight of 83.69 g. Fruit weight and fruit number per plant are generally inversely correlated, despite the fact that both of these characteristics are key factors influencing yield. Customers or market choice determine the fruit weight, which is a function of fruit size (fruit length and girth). This finding was confirmed by Mounica et al., (2022) [9] in tomato hybrids.

No. of fruits per plant

With a mean of 23.13, TMTH 291 recorded the lowest collected production of fruits potential among all the evaluated tomato hybrids. TMTH 2256 recorded the highest mean value of 30.33 fruits per plant, followed by TMTH 275 with a second highest mean of 28.40, therefore showing better yield capacity in these hybrids. The par value among all the hybrids was 25.94. The check hybrid Abhilash had an average of 26.80 fruits per plant. These results show that for more fruit yield per plant than the check, TMTH 2256 and TMTH 275 are worth-considering hybrids. Variation in number of fruits per plant was attributed to genetic composition of the hybrids since all the hybrids tested were exposed to nearly similar kind of cultural atmospheric and edaphic conditions. This finding was reported by Mounica et al., (2022) [9] . Similar findings were also reported by Singh et al. (2014) [19] , Cheema et al. (2013) [23] , Parmar et al. (2018) [11] noted variability in number of fruits per plant in tomato hybrids.

The productivity analysis established that TMTH 222 produced the minimal mean yield of 1.40 kg per plant while other entries displayed higher results. [9] as well as Dhillon et al. (2019) [24] .

Fruit yield (tonnes) per ha

The (2022) [9] validated these results. The research of Cheema et al. (2013) [23] all demonstrated identical results.

Economics

Conclusion

Overall, TMTH 2256 emerged as the best-performing variety across a wide range of growth, flowering, yield, and quality parameters, making it the most promising cultivar for high productivity and quality in tomato cultivation. Its early flowering and harvesting, along with high yield and good fruit quality traits with high net return and B:C ratio it suggests that TMTH 2256 would be an ideal choice for farmers aiming for both higher economic returns and efficient crop management.

References

1. Ali A, Hussain I, Khan A, Khan J, Rahman MU, Riaz A. Evaluation of various tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivars for quality, yield and yield components under agro climatic condition of Peshawar. Agric Biol Sci. 2016;11(2):59-62.
2. Chaitanya K, Kumar AK, Cheena J, Naik BB, Mahadevappa SG, Kumar KA, et al. Assessment of yield and quality traits of tomato hybrids across varied planting dates in Southern Telangana, India. J Adv Biol Biotechnol. 2024;27(11):1161-1169.
3. Dhyani S, Misra AC, Panday V, Sajwan P. Evaluation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) hybrids for fruit yield characters in hill region of Uttarakhand, India. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci. 2017.
4. Hazarika TK, Phookan DB. Performance of tomato cultivars for polyhouse cultivation during spring summer in Assam. Indian J Hortic. 2005;62(3):268-271.
5. Kumar S, Singh D, Wesley CJ, Pal V. Performance of different tomato hybrids in Prayagraj agro-climatic condition. Int J Adv Biochem Res. 2024;8(8):1-5.
6. Kumari S, Sharma MK. Assessment of tomato hybrids for yield and quality attributes under protected environment. J Appl Nat Sci. 2015;7(1):5-9.
7. Kumar B, Pal AK, Singh AK, Arya D, Pattnaik P, Yadav N. Performance evaluation of tomato hybrids under agro-climatic conditions of Sonitpur district of Assam. Int J Res Agron. 2024;7(12):788-790.
8. Lekshmi SL, Celine VA. Correlation and path analysis of tomato crop (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under protected conditions. J Res ANGRAU. 2015;43(3):713.
9. Mounica N, Padma E, Madhavi M, Suneetha DRS. Evaluation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) hybrids for growth and yield attributes under coastal conditions of Andhra Pradesh. Pharma Innov J. 2022;11(4):1403-1408.
10. Naik RMCH, Ruth CH, Chinnabbai HC. Growth, flowering and yield response of tomato varieties under polyhouse conditions. Int J Pure Appl Biosci. 2018;6(1):1303-1307.
11. Parmar DK, Thakur DR, Jamwal RS, Gurudevsingh. Evaluation of tomato cultivars for yield, profit and quality performance in an organic management system in North Western Himalayas, India. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci. 2018;7(10):451-458.
12. Prasad S, Bahadur V. Evaluation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) hybrids for plant growth, fruit yield and quality in Prayagraj agro-climate condition. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2019;8(4):3149-3153.
13. Raj T, Bhardwaj ML, Pal S, Kumari S, Sharma S. Performance of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) hybrids for yield and its contributing traits under midhill conditions of Himachal Pradesh. Int J Bioresour Stress Manag. 2018;9(2):282-286.
14. Sarmah A, Basumatary M, Neog M, Saud RK. Performance evaluation of tomato hybrids under agroclimatic conditions of Sonitpur district of Assam. Int J Res Agron. 2024;7(12):1008-1012.
15. Sharma P, Verma S. Evaluation of tomato hybrids for growth and yield under humid subtropical conditions. Indian J Agric Res. 2012;46(4):320-324.
16. Sharma A, Kerketta A, Topno S, Malik V, Singh K. Performance of different hybrids of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) for growth and yield under Prayagraj agro-climatic conditions. Int J Plant Soil Sci. 2023;35(20):452-458.
17. Singh R, Kumar S, Mehta R. Performance of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) hybrids under semi-arid conditions. J Hortic Sci. 2013;8(2):150-154.
18. Singh A, Ahirwar CS, Prasad VM. Evaluation of tomato hybrids (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) in Allahabad agro climatic conditions. Trends Biosci. 2013;6(6):744-746.
19. Singh T, Singh N, Bahuguna A, Nautiyal M, Sharma VK. Performance of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) hybrids for growth, yield and quality inside polyhouse under mid-hill condition of Uttarakhand. Am J Drug Discov Dev. 2014;6(8):1-8.
20. Singh M, Ameta KD, Kaushik RA, Rajawat KS. Evaluation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) hybrids for quality traits, yield and fruit under polyhouse conditions. Curr J Appl Sci Technol. 2020;38(6):1-6.
21. Kumar S, Soukup M, Elbaum R. Silicification in grasses: variation between different cell types. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2017 Mar 28;8:438.
22. Rojalin T, Phong B, Koster HJ, Carney RP. Nanoplasmonic approaches for sensitive detection and molecular characterization of extracellular vesicles. Frontiers in chemistry. 2019 May 7;7:279.
23. Farooq M, Khaliq A, Cheema Z, Cheema S. Application of allelopathy in crop production: success story from Pakistan. Allelopath. Curr. Trends Futur. Appl. 2013:113-143.
24. Dhillon GS, Chaudhari P, Ravichandran A, Soatto S. A baseline for few-shot image classification. arXiv preprint arXiv:1909.02729. 2019 Sep 6.