Genetic Resistance to Early Blight in Tomato Breeding Lines

Abstract

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) genotypes evaluated for early blight [Alternaria solani (Ellis & Martin) Jones and Grout] resistance included five tolerant breeding lines, a susceptible cultivar, and seven hybrids among them. Three of the genotypes (`Castlejay', NC EBR-2, and 87B187) were crossed in a diallel mating design to estimate general combining ability and specific combining ability for the resistance trait. Parental, F 1 , F 2 , and backcross generations of the family Cl943 x `Castlejay' were evaluated for resistance and included in generation mean analysis. Hybrid means for area under the disease progress curve were not significantly different from respective midparent values, indicating additive genetic control. Diallel and generation mean analyses also detected significant additive genetic effects. Epistasis was present in the Cl943 × `Castlejay' family.