VARIABILITY ANDCHARACTERSASSOCIATION IN INTER-SPECIFIC F2 TOMATO POPULATION (Lycopersiconesculentum L.).

The present work was conducted in 2013/2014 at Agriculture Research Station, Hada Al-Sham, King Abdulaziz University, to study genetic variability and traits correlation among 100 F2 individuals of tomatoes. The F2 population derived from crosses between two tomatoes accessions LA1421 (as male) and LA2711 (as female). LA2711 (LycopersiconesculentumvarEdkawi)considered as high growth vigor, medium yield, salinity tolerance, and big, high TSS% and misshaped fruits. LA1421” (Lycopersiconesculentum.varcerosiforme)considered as medium growth, low fruit yield, and uniform, compact, high lycopene contents and small size fruits. The genetic variability was estimated by measuring genetic variance (VG), phenotypic variance(VP), phenotypic co-efficientof variance (PCV), genotypicco-efficient ofvariance (GCV), broad sense heritability (H_^2)and genetic advance (GA%)using 100 F2 tomato population. The results revealed that highest values of genotypic co-efficient of variance(GCV) andphenotypic co-efficient of variance (PCV) found in plant height (cm),no. of flower cluster/plant, weight of single fruit(g), no. of fruits/plant, no. of uniform fruits/plant and weight of fruits/plant(g). The lowest value of (GCV) and (PCV) were fordays toflowering, no. ofbranches/plant and no. of deform fruits/plant.Highestvalues of broad sense heritabilitywere observed for weight of single fruit (g), no. of deforms fruits/plantand no. of flower clusters/plant. Low values of broad and narrow sense heritability were found for days to floweringand plant height (cm). The combination of high heritability and genetic advance mean gives an obvious image of parameter for selection process.