A. Saeed, M.Q. Shahid, S.A. Anjum, A.A. Khan, A. Shakeel, M.F. Saleem and N. Saeed
Genet. Mol. Res. 10 (3): 1754-1776 (2011)
Published: August 23, 2011
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4238/vol10-3gmr1198
Cite this Article:
A. Saeed, M.Q. Shahid, S.A. Anjum, A.A. Khan, A. Shakeel, M.F. Saleem and N. Saeed (2011). Identification of suitable parents for developing tomato hybrids for high salt soils. Genet. Mol. Res. 10(3): 1754-1776. http://dx.doi.org/10.4238/vol10-3gmr1198
About the Authors:
A. Saeed, M.Q. Shahid, S.A. Anjum, A.A. Khan, A. Shakeel, M.F. Saleem and N. Saeed
Corresponding author: A. Saeed
E-mail: drasifpbg@gmail.com
ABSTRACT:
We attempted to find the suitable parents for the development of tomato hybrids for high salt soils by exploiting combining ability, gene action and heterosis. Six salt-tolerant and three salt-intolerant genotypes, along with their 18 F1 crosses, were evaluated at seedling stage under 10 and 15 dS/m (NaCl) salinity stress, compared to the control level of salinity. The experiment was laid out based on a two-way complete randomized design factorial arrangement with two replications; data on root and shoot length, fresh and dry weights, leaf area, plant length, Na+, K+ and K+/Na+ concentrations were recorded. There was significant variation within genotypes, lines, testers, crosses, and line × tester interaction for all plant characters studied under normal and two salinity levels. Estimates of combining ability indicated that under low (10 dS/m) and high (15 dS/m) salinities, line BL1176 and tester LO2875 showed significant GCA effects for most of the traits studied. The cross-combinations 6233 × LO2875, CLN2498A x LO2875 and BL1176 × 17902 showed highest SCA values for most of the characters under 10 and 15 dS/m, respectively. Potence ratio showed that under low and high salinities, all the traits showed over dominant type of gene action except leaf area and K+ concentration (in 10 dS/m) and shoot length, and leaf area (in 15 dS/m). The highest heterosis for most of the parameters was observed in cross-combinations BL1176 × LO2875 and CLN2498A x LO2875.
Key words: Salinity; Tomato; Seedlings; Line x tester analysis; Combining ability; Heterosis.