PERFORMANCE OF TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum L.) GENOTYPES UNDER NATURALLY VENTILATED POLYHOUSE IN KUMAON HILLS OF UTTARAKHAND (INDIA)

Abstract

This study was aimed to assess the performance of various tomato genotypes under ventilated poly-house conditions. The study was conducted in Kumaun hills of Uttarakhand (India) during summer 2017. The study revealed the presence of high genotypic and high heritability for most economic traits viz., number of fruits plant-1, yield plant-1, ascorbic acid content and total antioxidant activities. The variety ‘VL-4’ proved superior over other varieties with respect to fruit length (5.43 cm), fruit width (5.27 cm), number of fruits plant-1 (51.67), average fruit weight (85.34 g) and fruit yield plant-1 (4.42 kg). Highest luminous (L*= 49.96), TSS (6.03ºB), reducing sugar (1.99%) and total sugar (3.39%) were estimated in genotype ‘H-86’; whereas highest red colour (a*= 42.43) and total antioxidant activity (28.06 mMTE L-1) were found in hybrid ‘Dev’ and maximum yellow colour (b*= 48.8) in hybrid ‘Badshah’. The chroma (C*= 57.16), ascorbic acid (40.22 mg 100 g-1), non-reducing sugar (1.62%) and lowest hue angle (hº=38.83) were found maximum in hybrid ‘Shahanshah’. The maximum heritability (broad sense) estimates were noted for total sugar (100%) and non-reducing sugar (100%). The study depicted the scope of further improvement of these traits through selection procedure and these genotypes could be considered.