Potential Adoption of the F₂ Generation of Some TYLCV-Resistant Tomato Hybrids for Commercial Production under Natural Field Infection

THE ECONOMIC feasibility of using the tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) resistant F-1, tomato hybrids (Solanum lycopersicum L.) may be improved by using their F-2 generation in commercial production. Hence, this study was performed to evaluate the F-1 and generations of 15 TYLCV-resistant/tolerant commercial tomato hybrids during the 2018 and 2019 fall seasons to identify the best hybrids and F-2 populations for commercial production. Both F-1 and F-2 populations were evaluated separately for TYLCV-resistance, yield, and fruit quality traits. Broad sense heritability (H-b(2)) values of TYLCV reistance were high, being > 60% in hybrids 186, Goldstone, Rabha, SV0922, and SV8320 in both seasons. F-1 and F-2 populations of '186', 'Dania', 'PS550', 'Rozalina', 'SV0922', 'SV8320', and 'Tyrmes' had the highest total yield (TY)/plant, low TYLCV disease (TYLCVD) mean scores, acceptable fruit quality traits, and average fruit weight > 80 g. Desirable inbreeding depression (ID) values were observed for TYLCVD-mean score in F-2 populations of most evaluated hybrids; for TY/plant in F-2 populations of 'SV3773' in both seasons, and in populations of '186', '448', 'Goldstone', 'Rabha', 'SV8320' and 'SV0922' in the second season. Most hybrids had desirable significant ID values for fruit quality traits. Accordingly, it is concluded that the F-2 populations of hybrids 186, SV0922, and SV8320 may be used in commercial tomato production under TYLCV-infection in the fall season.