Traits In Tomato Research Articles

Inoculation with a microbial consortium increases soil microbial diversity and improves agronomic traits of tomato under water and nitrogen deficiency.

Microbial-based biostimulants, functioning as biotic and abiotic stress protectants and growth enhancers, are becoming increasingly important in agriculture also in the context of climate change. The search for new products that can help reduce chemical inputs under a variety of field conditions is the new challenge. In this study, we tested whether the combination of two microbial growth enhancers with complementary modes of action, Azotobacter chroococcum 76A and Trichoderma afroharzianum T22, could facilitate tomato adaptation to a 30% reduction of optimal water and nitrogen requirements. The microbial inoculum increased tomato yield (+48.5%) under optimal water and nutrient conditions. In addition, the microbial application improved leaf water potential under stress conditions (+9.5%), decreased the overall leaf temperature (-4.6%), and increased shoot fresh weight (+15%), indicating that this consortium could act as a positive regulator of plant water relations under limited water and nitrogen availability. A significant increase in microbial populations in the rhizosphere with applications of A. chroococcum 76A and T. afroharzianum T22 under stress conditions, suggested that these inoculants could enhance soil microbial abundance, including the abundance of native beneficial microorganisms. Sampling time, limited water and nitrogen regimes and microbial inoculations all affected bacterial and fungal populations in the rhizospheric soil. Overall, these results indicated that the selected microbial consortium could function as plant growth enhancer and stress protectant, possibly by triggering adaptation mechanisms via functional changes in the soil microbial diversity and relative abundance.

Foliar application of Ascophyllum nodosum on improvement of photosynthesis, fruit setting percentage, yield and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

In recent days, liquid formulations of brown seaweed extract, Ascophyllum nodosum used as a biostimulant in agriculture. Various studies suggest that A. nodosum enhanced the growth and yield of agriculturally important crops, but still, there is a lack of information about the biostimulation effects on photosynthesis, flowering and fruit setting of tomato. Hence, the present study aimed to know the effect of foliar application of A. nodosum on photosynthesis, flowering, fruit setting, yield and quality of tomato. A biostimulant product, MC Set with A. nodosum extract applied to tomato as a foliar spray at rates of three different concentrations such as 1.0 L ha−1 (MS 1), 2.0 L ha−1 (MS 2), 3.0 L ha−1 (MS 3) for six times during flowering of 2nd (30 Days after transplanting – DAT), 3rd (40 DAT) and 4th (50 DAT) cluster and fruit setting of 2nd (60 DAT), 3rd (70 DAT) and 4th (80 DAT) cluster respectively. The MC Set treatments enhanced the plant photosynthesis, flower number and fruit number per cluster, yield and quality traits of tomato. However, the middle concentration MS 2 showed highest photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, SPAD value, flower and fruit in 2nd, 3rd and 4th cluster. It also had better average fruit weight and yield per plant and hectare and enhanced the quality parameters such as total soluble solids, ascorbic acid content, lycopene and total sugars compared to control and other two concentrations of MS Set. Hence, using A. nodosum extract on tomato growth could be a better sustainable crop production method.

Response of bacterial biovars to inheritance pattern of bacterial wilt disease in tomato

ABSTRACT Knowledge of the genetic control of disease tolerance is necessary for effective transfer of desirable genes in resultant progenies leading to development of disease tolerant cultivars and hybrids. Bacterial wilt (BW) disease-resistant varieties of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) express differential reactions to bacterial biovars distributed in specific regions. Genetic control of host tolerance to BW disease was studied using the generations P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1, BC2 of three tolerant × susceptible crosses (“Utkal Kumari × CLN- 2460E;” “Utkal Kumari × CLN-2764A;” “Utkal Deepti × CLN-2460E”) involving two tolerant (“Utkal Kumari,” “Utkal Deepti”), and two susceptible (“CLN-2460E” and “CLN-2764A”) genotypes exposed to the virulent bacterial biovars III and VI. The inheritance pattern indicated tolerance to BW disease was conditioned by a single dominant gene in three crosses when exposed to both biovars. Genetic control of bacterial wilt resistance did not depend on the interaction between genotype and bacterial biovars tested. Predominance of non-additive gene action and duplicate epistasis for conditioning of first appearance and incidence of BW disease in crosses indicated hindrance in progress through conventional selection. Selection for improvement of BW disease-related traits should be delayed to later segregating generations. The modified bulk method of selection appeared to be best for improving BW disease-related traits of tomato. Tomato hybrids tolerant to BW disease could be developed with the involvement of one parent tolerant to this disease.

Multivariate Analysis for Post Harvest Quality and Yield Attributes in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Aim: To study the multivariate analysis, genetic parameters and correlation for post harvest quality and yield traits in tomato.
 Study Design: The variability in the twenty genotypes of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) was evaluated for 18 yield attributes and post harvest quality traits using randomized block design and analyzed with multivariate methods.
 Place and Duration of Study: Twenty genotypes of tomato augmented from Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi were sown during rainy season at Horticulture Research Farm of Banaras Hindu University.
 Methodology: The unweighted pair group method of the average linkage (UPGMA) cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to analyze the data. Canonical discriminant analysis showed the contribution of each trait to the classification of the tomato accessions into different cluster groups.
 Results: The first seven principal components (PC) explained 87.83% of total variation and has eigen values >1. The traits that mainly contributed for this variation in PC1 and PC2 are fruit yield, plant height, number of flower clusters per plant, number of fruits per plant, days to first fruit set, number of fruits per cluster. High (>20%) genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was observed for number of fruits/cluster, fruit shape index, number of fruits/plant, fruit yield and shelf life. The correlation coefficients of number of primary branches/plant, days to first fruit set, number of flower clusters/plant, number of fruits/cluster, fruit width (cm), number of fruits/plant, fruit weight (g) and lycopene (mg/100 g) were positively and significantly correlated to fruit yield/plant.
 Conclusion: Number of flower clusters/plant, fruit weight and number of fruits per plant had contributed for maximum variation. These traits also had high heritability, high genetic gain and significant correlation with fruit yield.

Appraisal of combining ability and gene action for yield, it’s governing characters and quality traits in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Appraisal of combining ability and gene action for yield, it’s governing characters and quality traits in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Multi-year field trials provide a massive repository of trait data on a highly diverse population of tomato and uncover novel determinants of tomato productivity.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a prominent fruit with rich genetic resources for crop improvement. By using a phenotype-guided screen of over 7900 tomato accessions from around the world, we identified new associations for complex traits such as fruit weight and total soluble solids (Brix). Here, we present the phenotypic data from several years of trials. To illustrate the power of this dataset we use two case studies. First, evaluation of color revealed allelic variation in phytoene synthase 1 that resulted in differently colored or even bicolored fruit. Secondly, in view of the negative relationship between fruit weight and Brix, we pre-selected a subset of the collection that includes high and low Brix values in each category of fruit size. Genome-wide association analysis allowed us to detect novel loci associated with total soluble solid content and fruit weight. In addition, we developed eight F2 biparental intraspecific populations. Furthermore, by taking a phenotype-guided approach we were able to isolate individuals with high Brix values that were not compromised in terms of yield. In addition, the demonstration of novel results despite the high number of previous genome-wide association studies of these traits in tomato suggests that adoption of a phenotype-guided pre-selection of germplasm may represent a useful strategy for finding target genes for breeding.

GWAS Characterization of the Genetic Regions Associated with Nine Important Agronomic Traits in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Understanding the genetic background of elite cultivated tomato germplasm resources in crossbreeding and revealing the genetic basis of complex traits are vital for better-targeted germplasm expansion and the creation of strong hybrids. Here, we obtained approximately 21 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on the sequencing of 212 cultivated tomato accessions and the population structure of which was revealed. More importantly, we found that target genes distributed on chromosomes 1, 5, 9, and 11 may be actively selected in breeding. In particular, the significant signals related to soluble sugar content (chr1_94170222, chr1_96273188, chr9_4167512, and chr11_55592768), fruit firmness (chr5_4384919 and chr5_5111452) and gray leaf spot resistance (chr11_8935252 and chr11_9707993) were also detected on the corresponding chromosomes, respectively. Overall, we reported 28 significant association signals for nine agronomic traits based on a mixed linear model (MLM), including 114 genes. Among these signals, 21 contained potential novel genes for six fruit traits. These novel candidate genes located in genomic regions without previously known loci or on different chromosomes explained approximately 16% of the phenotypic variance on average in cultivated tomatoes. These findings could accelerate the identification and validation of novel and known candidate genes and QTLs, improving the understanding of the genetic structure of complex quantitative traits. These results also provide a basis for tomato breeding and improvement.

Evaluation of the Performance of Parental Lines and Their F1 Hybrids for Yield and Attributing Traits in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

The present investigation was carried out to obtain information based on per se performances of parents and their combinations for genetic improvement in tomatoes. Ten promising genotypes were crossed in a dial manner (excluding reciprocals). Half diallel set of 45 F1’s in tomato was evaluated in Randomized Complete Block Design (RBD) with three replications for eighteen yield and yield attributing traits during Rabi 2020-21 (Y1) and 2021-22 (Y2) at the Main Experimental Station (MES), Department of Vegetable Science, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Narendra Nagar, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P.) India. The study evidently showed highly significant differences being observed for most of the traits under study. Based on per se performance, parent P3 (3.27 kg) exhibited the highest yield per plant followed by P6 (3.20 kg). The per se performance of crosses i.e. P3XP4 (3.33kg), followed by P2 x P9 (2.17 kg) produced significantly higher yield per plant than the general mean and P2 X P3 (24.97), followed by P1 X P2 (26.18) was found to be early as observed from character of days to 50% flowering. These hybrids may be exploited as a new variety after selection and subjected to multi-locational trials for their release for cultivation on a commercial scale.

Biostimulation Effects of Seaweed Extract (Ascophyllum nodosum) on Phytomorpho-Physiological, Yield, and Quality Traits of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Biostimulants are innovative organic tools, which promote the growth, plant development, production, and quality of various crops without harming the environment; however, the effects of biostimulants on the production of tomato needed to be explored further under open field conditions. Based on this view, this study’s objective was to assess the impact of Kendal Root, a biostimulant-containing seaweed, Ascophyllum nodosum, and plant extracts on the phytomorpho-physiological, yield, and quality of tomato. Three doses of Kendal Root (2.5, 5.0, and 10 L ha−1) were given as soil drenching, and the results were compared with control. Generally, the Kendal Root treatments positively improved the growth, physiological, yield, and quality attributes of tomato. However, among the three different concentrations, Kendal Root 5.0 L ha−1 significantly improved the plant growth and physiological aspects of tomato, such as plant height, leaf area, shoot and root dry weight, SPAD value, and gas exchange parameters. Considering the yield traits, the Kendal Root 5.0 L ha−1 application significantly improved the tomato fruit number, yield per plant, and yield per hectare. Conversely, flower number per plant and average fruit weight was not remarkably improved by Kendal Root 5.0 L ha−1. Moreover, Kendal Root 5.0 L ha−1 positively improved the quality traits of tomato, including total soluble solids, ascorbic acid content, lycopene, and total sugars than the titratable acidity content of tomato fruits. Hence, the integration of Kendal Root biostimulant in tomato production could be an effective way to boost plant growth, production, and quality of tomato.

Influence of staking methods on growth, yield and yield related traits of tomato (lycopersicon esculentum mill.) Varieties in debre markos district, north western Ethiopia.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is one of the most cultivated vegetable crops in Ethiopia. However, the production and productivity of the crop is low due to a lack of improved varieties and improper agronomic practices including staking. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of stalking on growth, fruit yield and associated characteristics of the tomato varieties and to estimate the economic efficiency of using different staking methods for different tomato varieties. The study was conducted in Debre Markos University, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource research demonstration site under irrigation condition in 2021/22. The experiment consisted of four tomato varieties, (namely Cochero, Eshet, Metadel, and Miya) with three staking methods (single-string staking, Florida weave string staking, and non-staking methods). A 4X3 Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications was employed in a factorial arrangement. Data were collected on growth, yield, and quality parameters and analyzed using SAS 9.2 software, and means were separated by using LSD at 5% probability level. Results revealed that the interaction effect of variety and methods of staking had a highly significant (p<0.01) effect on total fruit yield per hectare; marketable fruit yield per hectare and; unmarketable fruit yield per hectare. The main effects of variety and methods of staking significantly influenced most of the studied tomato parameters (number of primary branches; days to fruit maturity and; number of flowers per cluster). Based on the present study the highest marketable fruit yield was recorded from treatment combinations of Metadel variety with single string staking (112.09 tha-1). With regard to the economic analysis the maximum net profit was recorded from treatment combinations of Metadel with single string with a MRR (marginal rate of return) of 739.

Bin mapping of water stress tolerance‐related, fruit quality, and horticultural traits in tomato introgression lines derived from wild Solanum habrochaites

AbstractClimate change is reducing water availability for crop production. Cultivated tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, has a limited genetic base for improvement. A wild tomato, Solanum habrochaites, is water stress tolerant and may serve as a genetic source of abiotic stress‐tolerance traits. A set of 24 introgression lines (ILs) derived from S. habrochaites and processing tomato inbred cultivar E6203 were evaluated in the field in replicated experiments over 3 years for 15 traits, including water stress tolerance‐related, fruit quality, and horticultural traits. A split plot experimental design was employed with reduced and full irrigation treatments as main plots. Subplots consisted of the ILs and control E6203, and trait data were collected on a per‐subplot basis. Statistical data analyses and bin mapping were performed on a per‐trait basis. Trait‐genomic region associations (TGRAs) were detected in ILs when a significant difference between E6203 and an IL was present. A total of 268 TGRAs were detected for all 15 traits. Traits mapped to introgressions in 22 of the 24 ILs and in 11 of 12 tomato chromosomes. ILs contributed both positive and negative allelic effects at TGRAs. TGRA with positive allelic effects from S. habrochaites were identified for soluble solids content, fruit weight, degree of fruit sunburn, canopy cover, and maturity. Our results suggest that S. habrochaites may be a useful resource for breeding improvement of certain fruit quality and horticultural traits in cultivated tomato. Overall, S. habrochaites alleles did not contribute to increased water stress tolerance relative to E6203 at the milder level of water stress used in this study.

Study of genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance for yield-related traits in tomato (Solanum lycopersicon MILL.).

Tomato is one of the most significant vegetable crops, which provides several important dietary components. Pakistan has a significant low tomato yield compared to other countries because of low genetic diversity and the absence of improved cultivars. The present study aimed to investigate the genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance for yield and yield-related traits in tomato. For this purpose, eight tomato parents and their 15 crosses or hybrids were evaluated to study the relevant traits. Significant variation was observed for all studied traits. Higher values of the genotypic coefficient of variability (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variability (PCV) were recorded for yield per plant (YP) (kg) (37.62% and 37.79%), as well as the number of fruits per cluster (NFRC) (31.52% and 31.71%), number of flowers per cluster (24.63 and 24.67), and single fruit weight (g) (23.49 and 23.53), which indicated that the selection for these traits would be fruitful. Higher heritability (h2) estimates were observed for the number of flowers per cluster (NFC) (0.99%), single fruit weight (SFW) (g) (0.99%), and yield per plant (YP) (kg) (0.99%). Single fruit weight (SFW) (g) exhibited higher values for all components of variability. High genetic advance as a % of the mean (GAM) coupled with higher heritability (h2) was noted for the yield per plant (YP) (kg) (52.58%) and the number of fruits per cluster (NFRC) (43.91). NFRC and SFW (g) had a highly significant correlation with YP (kg), while FSPC had a significant positive association with YP (kg), and these traits can be selected to enhance YP (kg). Among the 15 hybrids, Nagina × Continental, Pakit × Continental, and Roma × BSX-935 were selected as high-yielding hybrids for further evaluation and analysis. These findings revealed that the best performing hybrids could be used to enhance seed production and to develop high-yielding varieties. The parents could be further tested to develop hybrids suitable for changing climatic conditions. The selection of YP (kg), SFW (g), NFC, and NFRC would be ideal for selecting the best hybrids.

Bayesian estimation of multi-allele QTLs for agricultural traits in tomato using recombinant inbred lines derived from two F1 hybrid cultivars

Bayesian estimation of multi-allele QTLs for agricultural traits in tomato using recombinant inbred lines derived from two F1 hybrid cultivars

Genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for yield and yield contributing traits in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for yield and yield contributing traits in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Heterotic Pattern Involving Rin, Nor and Alc Alleles for Yield and Quality Traits in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Heterotic Pattern Involving Rin, Nor and Alc Alleles for Yield and Quality Traits in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Seed Yield and Seed Quality Traits in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cv. Kashi Adarsh

A field experiment was conducted at the College of Agriculture and Research Station, Kunkuri, Jashpur, Chhattisgarh, during rabi 2020-21 with an aim to standardize foliar spray of plant growth regulator for higher seed yield in tomato. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design having nine treatments and three replications. Seedling quality traits were recorded in laboratory in completely randomized design. Foliar application of Gibberellic acid (GA3), Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), Cycocel and Salicylic acid in various concentrations in tomato were applied as foliar spray at 30 and 45 days after transplanting of tomato seedlings of cultivar Kashi Adarsh. Results revealed that maximum plant height (121.89 cm), number of branches per plant (10.39), number of fruits per plant length of fruit (33.06), length of fruit (4.66 cm), diameter of fruit (4.52 cm), seed yield per plant (19.14 g) was recorded in treatment foliar spray of GA3 at 50 ppm. In laboratory condition seedling traits were evaluated and the highest germination (96.25 %), root length (6.78 cm), shoot length (8.76 cm), root fresh weight (0.81 g), shoot fresh weight (3.37g), root dry weight (0.061 g), shoot dry weight (0.209 g), vigour index- I (789.25) and vigour index- II (22.66) was also recorded in GA3 at 50 ppm.

Effect of Salinity (NaCl) Stress on Root-shoot Traits of Tomato in Hydroponic Culture

Background: Tomato is one of the most important and popular vegetable crop grown mainly in dry seasons in Bangladesh. The southern part of the country is suffering from soil salinity problem due to tidal floods. The increasing salinity in the cultivatable land causes huge crop failure. A dozen of tomato varieties have been developed but they are not been tested for salinity tolerance. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the tolerance level of tomato varieties against NaCl salinity stress at the vegetative stage. Methods: The study comprised of four levels of electrical conductivity (EC) based NaCl salinity viz., EC 2 (control), EC 4, EC 6 and EC8 mS/cm and eight varieties of tomato. The two-factor pot experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. NaCl salinity was imposed on the tomato plants through a hydroponic culture system and the effects of salinity on shoot-roots traits were measured. Result: Results showed that morphological traits of tomato plants varied significantly with the salinity levels and variety. It is also noticed that all the vegetative traits reduced as salt concentrations increased in the solution. In combined effects of variety and salinity levels, it was found that BARI Tomato-17 performed superior. It can be concluded that variety BARI Tomato-17 showed comparatively salt tolerant than the other varieties.

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in community development: An overview focused on nutritional properties, agronomic constraints, reThe tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in community development: An overview focuscent achievements and future prospective

Tomato is an important horticultural product cultivated worldwide and a major crop subject of studies. The present study therefore aims to review the state of the art of research on tomato. To do this, search was carried out in scientific databases (Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed and Agora), A suitable scientific research works were selected and analyzed. From the results, it appears that tomato is a fruit vegetable, belongs to Solanaceae family and cultivated in many countries of the world and in various climates. Its production can be done in field, but also under controlled conditions by using of artificial lighting, heaters, as well as fertigation to produce high quality tomatoes. Nutritionally, regular intake of tomato fruit increase levels of carotenoids, lycopene, vitamin C, and polyphenols compounds in the daily diet. Regarding the preservation of tomato, research papers mentioned that tomato, like any plant, is subject to agronomic constraints, such as abiotic (light, water supply, salinity, floor structure) and biotic constraints (bacterial, fungal and viruses’ attacks). Mechanical damage also influenced external quality traits of tomato. Finally, this review paper presents a brief overview of some recent studies concerning the control of tomato diseases, the valorization of tomato fruits, as well as the using of tomato waste as a bioresource for lycopene extraction. However, it would be interesting that future investigations revolve around the search for more alternatives methods to control bacterial, fungal or virus attacks, such as the use of natural compounds, in particular those from plant origin.

Combining Ability, Heritability and Genetic Variance in Tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum) Genotypes

A study was conducted to determine gene actions controlling yield and other qualitative traits of tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum) as well as combining ability among selected genotypes at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso during the 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons. Five tomato genotypes and ten offspring (F1), obtained from a 5×5 diallel crosses were sown in plots, arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design, with three replicates. Data were collected on plant height (PH), number of cluster per plant, days to 50% flowering (50%FL), individual fruit weight (IFW), number of fruits per plant (NFPP), pericarp thickness (PT), number of lobe (NOL), number of seeds per fruit (NSPF), fruit lycopene (LYCOP), ascorbic acid content (ASCO) and fruit yield (YH). Data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance (P=0.05). Also, diallel analysis was carried out to determine the General and Specific combining abilities (GCA and SCA) of the parents and hybrids respectively, following the Griffing (1956) Method II for partial diallel analysis. Results obtained showed significant differences among the genotypes, for all the characters measured. Also, non-additive and additive gene actions were responsible for the genetic control of the traits. The ratio of GCA and SCA were < 1 for Plant height, CPPL, 50%FL, IFW, NFPP, PT, NOL, NSPF, LYCOP, ASCO and YH thus revealing the preponderance of non-additive gene action. GCA analysis suggested that parents Uc-op and Ibadan-local were the best general combiners while, SCA performance suggested that FDT4 X FDT2 was the best specific combiner. Broad sense heritability for NOL, NSPF, LYCOP, and ASCO were above 90%, indicating that they were highly heritable while narrow sense heritability of NOL was very high (55% and 83% respectively), PH, NSPF, NFPPL and LYCOP were moderate ranging between 20% and 38%. It is concluded that high yielding tomato hybrids, best combiners and a guide line for the assessment of relative parents breeding potential of the parents could be established following diallel technique.

Assessment Genetic Variability among Three Parents and Six Progenies of Tomato using Multivariate Analysis

Six tomato hybrids developed through diallel mating design and the three parents were obtained from the plant breeding section of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko and used to assess the genetic variability among them. The breeding materials were raised in the nursery for three weeks before transplanting. The hybrids and parents were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated three times Seedlings were transplanted at a spacing of 60 x 30 cm between and within row. Variability estimates were highly significant (p< 5%) in all the 10 measured quantitative traits. The average fruit mean yield of 21.42 g was recorded for all the materials evaluated. Phenotypic variances were higher in magnitude than its corresponding genotypic variances apart from pericarp thickness which had the same value of 0.002 and 100% heritability. Factor scores and communality of the 10 traits of tomato obtained from the factor analysis showed that the first factor were positively loaded with eigen vectors for number of branches (0.818), number of fruits per cluster (0.803), plant height (0.776), fruit yield (0.748) and number of clusters per plant (0.731). The second factor was positively loaded with pericarp thickness (0.723) and number of clusters per plant (0.460). Factor three was only positively loaded with fruit weight (0.881). The communality ranged from 0.618 for fruit yield to 0.930 for fruit weight. Conclusively, traits such as fruit yield, pericarp thickness, fruit weight, number of locules per fruit, days to flowering and days to first fruit set are important traits that should be considered in further breeding programme in tomato.