Purple standard tomato and cherry tomato crosses could enhance phytonutrient contents and tolerance to tomato leaf curl virus disease

Abstract

ABSTRACT Intermating between genetically diverse tomatoes could provide information on the underlying biology as a source of new alleles for phytonutrient contents and tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) disease tolerance in cherry tomato [Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme (Dunnal) A. Gray]. The study determined combining ability effects, heterosis and gene action for conditioning 19 quantitative traits involving crosses between anthocyanin rich (Aft gene) tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) lines and 7 breeding lines of nutritionally rich cherry tomato [S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme (Dunnal) A. Gray]. An overwhelming response of non-additive gene action in controlling expression of most traits was evident. Purple tomato line “Bidhan Purple” and the cherry tomato lines “Cherry Round Yellow Big Fruit” and “18/ToCVAR-2” could be potential genitors for cherry tomato breeding. Based on combining ability, average heterosis, and mean performance, the promising hybrids: “Alisha Craig Aft ×18/TOCVAR-2,” “Bidhan Purple × 18/TOCVAR-2” and “Alisha Craig Aft  × Cherry Round Yellow Big Fruit” were identified in terms of phytonutrient contents and ToLCV disease tolerance. Partial, to over-dominance, reaction in inheritance of most traits reflects the genetic basis of heterosis. Promising cherry tomato hybrids could be exploited following appropriate testing or could be used in segregating generations to produce line-bred cultivars that are ToLCV disease-tolerant and high in phytonutrient contents.