Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXVI, Issue 1
Written by Bianca MUȘAT, Dorel HOZA, Costel VÎNĂTORU, Matilda POPESCU, Camelia BRATU, Geanina NEGOȘANU
Hybrid tomatoes are grown in more than 95% of protected areas, rather than varieties. Romania has very few indigenous hybrids of this species, which led PGRB to launch a new tomato breeding program in order to obtain hybrids in accordance with the requirements of growers and consumers, involving in this program the native germplasm collection. PGRB owns a valuable germplasm collection for this species comprising 3084 lines. Of these, 1050 have been identified as genetically stabilized genotypes, 692 as genetically advanced genotypes and 1342 segregants. A number of 33 genitors have been selected after they successfully passed the general combining ability test and showed distinct phenotypic expressiveness. These genitors were involved in specific crosses and 19 of them manifested F1 reproductive heterosis. A number of 9 hybrids outperformed both genitors and genitors mean, from which H 14 recorded the highest percentage of heterobeltiosis of 84.1%. Three hybrids recorded mean values of estimated heterosis with an average of 27.7% (H4) and a number of 7 hybrids were below both the best parent and genitors mean.
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