Characterization of Tomato Cultivars Based on Morphological Traits

The ability to distinguish and clearly identify varieties of cultivated species is fundamental for the operational aspects in the seed trade. In the present study 24 tomato cultivars were characterized based on morphological markers. Among 17 quantitative and 36 qualitative morphological characters studied variation was observed in all quantitative characters and 31 qualitative characters. While, only 15 traits showed substantial variation among cultivars. Every cultivar showed one or more distinct characters which could be used to identify the same. However, it was difficult to identify all the cultivars based on single morphological trait.