STUDIES ON RADIAL FRUIT CRACKING IN TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)
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Date
1998-02-03
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MAHATMA PHULE KRISHI VIDYAPEETH, RAHURI - 413 722, DIST. AHMEDNAGAR, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA
Abstract
The present investigation entitled "Studies on radial fruit cracking in tomato {Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)" was carried out for varietal improvement of cv. Dhanashree and cv. Bhagyashree especially for fruit cracking resistance. The problem of radial fruit cracking was investigated genetically as well as agronomically. In genetical studies, thirteen selections of cv. Dhanashree and eight selections of cv. Bhagyashree, already developed by the "Tomato Improvement Project", M.P.K.V., Rahuri were screened for fruit cracking resistance along with susceptible and resistant checks. While screening, most of the selection progenies recorded significantly lower fruit cracking (27-42 %) than the original cultivar (58-59 %), as a susceptible check, however it was significantly more than the resistant check (20-22 %) i.e. two F^ hybrids Rajashree and S-28. Promising selections were identified as Dn from cv. Dhanashree and B7 and B6 from cv. Bhagyashree which recorded minimum fruit cracking (i.e. 32, 27 and 27 %, respectively). Furthermore twenty-three individual plants were selected from the plant population of twenty-one selection progenies and selection mean was compared with the population mean. A significant selection improvement was noticed over population as the least fruit cracking (0-16 %) was noticed in individual selected plants as compared to population mean of selection progenies (27-55 %) and also the resistant check cultivars (20-22 %). Three individual plants (one from cv. Dhanashree i.e. D-6-2 and two from cv. Bhagyashree i.e. B-3-1 and B-7-1) were identified as complete crack-free genotypes. While studing genetical parameters, it was observed that the maximum genetic variability was found for the character, fruit cracking (GCV 26- 31 %) which was followed by pericarp thickness (GCV 13-17 %), equatorial diameter and polar diameter (GCV 6-10 % and 4-6 %, respectively). But due to high estimates in heritability (96-98 %) and expected genetic advance (21-22), only character radial fruit cracking was observed under additive gene action and can be improved by the simple selection method. In agronomical studies, the boron application was found effective in controlling radial fruit cracking in susceptible tomato cultivar. The treatment of combined borax application of soil application (i.e. 15 kg/ha) and foliar spray (0.25 % borax) was found the most effective and recorded the least fruit cracking (16 %) followed by the sole treatment of boron foliar spray (19 %) and soil application (20 %) as compared to 45 % fruit cracking in the control treatment. Boron application not only effectively controlled the radial fruit cracking but also improved the quantitative traits (such as yield, fruit set, fruit size and fruit weight) and qualitative traits (i.e. pericarp thickness and TSS content)
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