Genetic variability studies for qualitative and quantitative traits in tomato (Solanum lycopersicumL.)

This study investigated the variability of 21 tomato genotypes, along with a check variety Dhanshree, for various growth, yield, and quality parameters over two growing seasons (Rabi 2021-22 and Rabi 2022-23) using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications.The indings revealed that phenotypic variation was generally greater than genotypic variation for most traits.High heritability estimates were noted for plant height, fruit weight, pericarp thickness, equatorial diameter, and number of the locules per fruit.The study faced challenges in accurately differentiating genetic variation from environmental in luences due to the narrow genetic base of certain genotypes and luctuating environmental conditions during the seasons.Despite these challenges, the research successfully identi ied key traits with high heritability and genetic variability.These results indicated that direct selection based on these traits could effectively identify superior tomato genotypes, providing valuable insights into genetic variability and heritability within the studied population.