DEVELOPMENT OF NEW FORMS OF TREE-SHAPED TOMATO AND THEIR USE IN BREEDING PROGRAM

Abstract

Tree-shaped plants of tomato have many useful traits, which gain them advantages over common tomato forms. In world plant collection there are over 200 accessions, cultivars and hybrids of tree-shaped tomato. The aim of the study was to develop new initial tomato accessions for breeding program for tree-shaped cultivars and hybrids that are distinguished by a shape, fruit weight and color, improved by interspecific hybridization chemical composition and resistance to the major diseases. The tree-shaped breeding lines: ‘196/12’, ‘374/08’, ‘909/14’, ‘911/14’ and other were observed with the use of interspecific hybridization and selection in the population F2-F4. The selected lines passed the trial in artificially infected condition with Alternaria, viral diseases (MToV, TSWV) and phytoplasmas. Among breeding lines assessed the ‘911/14’, ‘374/08’ and‘40/11’ were less affected by complex of pathogens. The lines ‘196/12’ and ‘909/14’ passed an assessment in the nursery for variety trial in naturally and provocatively infected conditions with major pathogens. Both breeding lines had an advantage over standard accession ‘Laguna’ and ‘Maraphon’ for total yield capacity and standard fruit harvest; it was more by 9.6% and 52.2% and 9.5% and 53.4% respectively. Fruits of lines 196/12 and 909/14 had good taste quality with high content of dry matter (5.8% and 6.8%), sugars (3.3% and 3.1%), vitamin C (22.2 and 24.8 mg/100 grams). The selected tree-shaped accessions have been used to develop heterotic hybrids and to be sources of economically valuable traits.