EVALUATION OF PENN STATE TOMATO VARIETIES FOR FRUIT QUALITY AND COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION
Open Access
- Author:
- Bonfiglio, Jonathan
- Graduate Program:
- Horticulture
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- November 13, 2019
- Committee Members:
- Majid R Foolad, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Dr. Elsa Sanchez, Committee Member
Dr. David R. Huff, Committee Member
Erin L Connolly, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- tomato
breeding
fruit quality
tomato breeding
plant breeding
commercial
variety
Solanum lycopersicum - Abstract:
- The Pennsylvania State University’s Tomato Breeding Program has reached a point in its development when it is trialing elite experimental hybrids throughout the state, country, and internationally. The purpose of this thesis project was to evaluate select number of Penn State fresh-market (FM) tomato hybrids (varieties) for fruit quality and other desirable characteristics, and compare them with a few commercial cultivars (varieties) of tomato commonly grown in Pennsylvania (PA). In 2017, preliminary yield and fruit quality trials were conducted at two locations in PA, using a large number of Penn State tomato hybrids with early blight (EB) resistance and other desirable characteristics. In 2018, the number of FM large tomato hybrids was reduced to elite ones, and new late blight (LB) resistant hybrids were included and evaluated. In 2019, a total of 12 elite Penn State FM hybrids and three popular commercial cultivars were visually evaluated in multi-location trials (MLTs). Four farmers in different locations in PA cooperated in visual evaluation of 15 hybrids, trialed in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in each location. Traits for plant and fruit quality characteristics, including yield, disease resistance, maturity, fruit size and color, were scored and hybrids ranked. Various statistical analyses were conducted, including analysis of genotype main effects and mixed models for genotype (G), environment (E) (location), and G x E interactions. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and pairwise multiple comparisons were performed for each of the genotypes and locations, to determine differences in performance among the 15 varieties within each location and differences in performance of each variety across multiple locations. The same 15 varieties were also field-evaluated and harvested from one site at the Penn State Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, Pennsylvania Furnace (Rock Springs), PA, and additionally analyzed for pH, soluble solids content (SSC), % acidity, and fruit lycopene content (using spectrophotometry and image-based analysis). In 2017, yield potential was determined for all hybrids, including Penn State top hybrids G49, G118, and G126, which produced estimated marketable yield of 51.0, 53.0, and 50.3 tonnes/ha, respectively. Across all hybrids trialed, the average marketable yield was 37.9 tonnes/ha. The top hybrids G118 and G126 also produced the largest fruit, with an average fruit weight of 0.67 and 0.64 lb/fruit, respectively, whereas G49 produced a larger number of fruit with an average weight of 0.54 lb/fruit. In 2019 MLTs, six PSU hybrids (G4, G49, G126, L37, L39, and L40) performed significantly better than all of the commercial cultivars based on the overall score; and G49 performed significantly better than each of Mt. Merit (MM) and Mt. Fresh + (MF) for yield score. For fruit firmness, all PSU hybrids but G83 performed significantly better than MM and MF; the commercial cv. Red Deuce (RD) performed as good as PSU hybrids for firmness. All PSU hybrids performed significantly better than commercial cultivars for internal fruit color with the exception of G118, which was not significantly different from RD. All PSU hybrids performed significantly better than MM and MF for external fruit color; and, three hybrids (G49, L37, L39) performed significantly better than RD. There were other variations and differences among Penn State and commercial varieties for other traits, as described in Chapter 3 of this thesis. Penn State G49 had the highest fruit lycopene estimate by whole fruit colorimeter measurements, 59.44 ug/g-1 fruit weight, and was significantly higher than estimates for G4, G9, G73, G81, G40, RD, MF, and MM. Overall, several PSU experimental hybrids show great potential for commercialization, including G4, G49, G118 and G126, based on overall scores, yield scores, and stability in farm locations.