Yield and yield components of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) selected by pedigree method in the lowlands, Bogor-Indonesia

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Introduction. Segregated populations can show the fluctuating performance of one generation to another. This can sometimes confuse plant breeders in interpreting the observed phenomena and determining the selection methods that need to be chosen. Objective. To analyze the performance and yield components of several tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) populations using the pedigree method in lowland environments, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Materials and methods. This study was conducted in December 2018–April 2019, at the Experimental Garden of Bogor Agricultural University, Tajur II (207 meters above sea level), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Four generations generated from 99D×Tora were used in the study, i.e. 200 plants of F2 generation and 100 plants of each of F3, F5, and F6 generations, respectively. Results. The results showed that the population variance in terms of yield and yield components and heritability were lower in the later generation compared with the earlier generation. Increase in the mean value was observed in F3 generation, but decreased in F5 and F6 generations in all observed characters. It could be caused by fixation as the result of the elimination of epistasis genes that played a role in the environmental stress. Conclusion. Pedigree selection at early generation was not suitable in the lowland. It is suggested to evaluate bulk or single seed descent methods, as those methods were able to maintain population variance up to later generations.