Performance evaluation of diverse tomato genotypes using quantitative genetic parameters and multivariate analysis
Tomato is one of the most widely consumed vegetable crops globally, valued for its diversified uses, year-round demand, and nutritional importance. It is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. Therefore, the development of high-performing tomato genotypes is essential to meet increasing market demand. This study evaluated the phenotypic performance and variability of 36 experimental tomato genotypes along with 3 check varieties, and analyzed their interrelationships using mean performance, quantitative genetic parameters, and multivariate approaches. The results revealed highly significant variation among the evaluated genotypes, with several genotypes surpassing the check varieties. Notably, genotypes V32, V22, and V33 emerged as particularly promising candidates, exhibiting high yield potential and low bacterial wilt incidence under natural field conditions. Correlation analysis indicated that the number of fruits plant-1, fruit diameter, and fruit weight were strongly associated with fruit yield. These findings highlight the importance of these traits in developing high-yielding tomato genotypes and identify promising genotypes for further multi-location and multi-season validation in tomato breeding programs.