Principle Component Analysis of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Genotypes for Yield and Quality Traits

Abstract

Fruit yield is a quantitative character, which is influenced by a number of yield contributing characters in tomato. To increase the genetic yield potential, maximum utilization of the desirable characters for synthesizing of any ideal genotypes is essential. The present investigation was carried out to determine simple correlation of fruit yield and 23 yield contributing and quality characters. The yield parameters fruit yield per plant significantly positive associated with characters i.e. Internodal length, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit weight, fruit volume and fruits per plant and negatively associated with Days taken to first flowering, Days to first picking and Node number at first flowering. Path analysis studies done to study the cause and effect relationship revealed that fruit yield per plant exhibited positive indirect effect on fruit yield through internodal length, fruit weight, fruit volume while it exhibited negative indirect effect on fruit yield through days taken to first flowering, days taken to first picking and leaf area