Parental lines, F1 generation of
domesticated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium L. were evaluated at
Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka for improvement in
their quantitative traits. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data were collected on the
quantitative traits and fruit yield. Better Parent Heterosis (BPH), genetic
variances, gene effects and heritability of the traits were estimated for the
hybrids. BPH result showed that the Wild × Petomech cross had the highest
positive BPH of 358.36% in fruit yield. The highest negative BPH of -95.59% was
recorded for the hybrid, Wild × Grosso in average fruit weight while the
hybrid, Insulata × Grosso had the lowest negative BPH of -16.27% in average
fruit weight. Additive gene action and additive × additive gene action (aa) were significantly in control of
three crosses, W × P, W × In and W × G in fruit yield. Additive variance was
higher than dominance variance in fruit yield for all the hybrids with wild as
one of its parents. Again, hybrids with wild as one of its parent as, W × G, W ×
In, and W × P had the highest narrow sense heritability in fruit yield (59.15%,
51.69%, 59.88%, respectively). High level of epistasis controlled some of the
quantitative traits and hybridization evidenced by the result was effective in
developing new tomato cultivars with positive heterotic effects in fruit yield.