Evaluation of F2 Tomato Hybrids for Yield and Related Traits in Jima Geneti District, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Tomatoes are a vegetable crop grown by smallholder farmers in the Horro Guduru region, which is in the mid-latitude. Therefore, it is crucial to create high-yielding and resistant types of tomatoes. As a result, there has been little work done to tackle the issue and little knowledge on tomato erraticism. As a result, the experiment was created to assess tomato hybrids that were F2 segregated in order to measure variability, character association, and path coefficient analysis. In Jima Genet area, Western Ethiopia, in 2022 GC, an experiment involving 28 F2 tomato hybrids in RCBD with three replications was conducted. Significant variations were found between the F2 hybrids for each attribute according to analysis of variance. For the variables days to first flowering (pcv=8.81, gcv=8.12), fruit length (pcv=16.14, gcv=14.84), and fruit diameter (pcv=17.10, gcv=14.92), very minimal variations were found between the phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV). With the exception of flowers per cluster (47.83%), all yield-contributing traits showed high heritability (>50%). Fruit clusters per plant (105.11), fruits per plant (103.43), branches per plant (34.49), fruits per cluster (47.43), individual fruit weight (77.73), and fruit output per plant (108.25) all showed strong heritability linked to high genetic progress. To increase tomato fruit output, selection for such features may be useful. Plant heights at first blooming, flowers per plant, fruits per cluster, fruit clusters per plant, and fruits per plant with fruit output per plant were found to be significantly positively correlated both genotypically and phenotypically. Individual fruits per plant (0.674) and fruits per plant as a whole (1.096) had the most beneficial direct effects on fruit output per plant. To lessen the indirect influence of the other qualities during the creation of a high-yielding tomato variety, direct selection may be carried out with these traits serving as the primary selection criteria.