Maternal and Genetic Effects on Seed Weight of Tomato, and Effects of Seed Weight on Growth of Genotypes of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Abstract

AbstractA study was made on the inheritance of seed weight of tomato, and on the effect of seed weight on growth of tomato plants. Use was made of 15 parental genotypes and 105 F1s produced by diallel crossing (F1‐seeds). From combining ability analysis of variance carried out for weight of F1‐seeds it appeared that the weight of seeds harvested from tomato plants was mainly determined by the maternal genotype and largely independent of the genotype of the male parent. A combining ability analysis of variance for weight of seeds produced by seilfing F1's (F2‐seeds) showed, however, that female and male parents contributed equally to the inheritance of seed weight and that the inheritance of seed weight is determined mainly by chromosomal additiveiy acting factors, but that also non‐additive gene action occurred.Genotypes with large seeds produced heavier seedlings than genotypes with small seeds, In later growth stages, the correlation between seed weight and plant weight became smaller, presumably, due to a lower relative growth rate of the seedlings from large seeds. For this reason, it is doubtful whether breeding of large seeded tomato cultivars opens up prospects of improving growth and yield of tomato plants.