Genetic Diversity Studies in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Genotypes

A study on genetic diversity was conducted in twenty four tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) genotypes. It revealed that a considerable amount of genetic diversity among 24 genotypes of tomato. The genotypes were grouped into eight clusters based on yield contributing traits. Cluster VI contained maximum number of genotypes (8)followed by cluster V and VII having three genotypes each and remaining clusters were having two genotypes each. Maximum intra cluster distance was recorded by cluster VIII (219.73) followed by cluster VII (169.84), cluster V (162.80) and Cluster VI (157.31) which revealed the existence of considerable genetic divergence among the genotypes of the respective clusters. The highest inter cluster distance of (375.75) was observed between cluster V and VIII, followed by cluster V and VII (304.85) and cluster III and V (304.81), revealing that the enormous diversity between genotypes belonging to respective pairs of the clusters. The genotypes from clusters V and VI having oblong fruits with thick pericarp, high fruit firmness and high yielding. Genotypes from these clusters also recorded the maximum mean values for number of fruits per plant and yield per plant.