Agronomic Superiority of Local F1 Hybrid Varieties of Tomatoes (Solonum Iycopersicum L.) Over ommercial Counterparts

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersictm L.) is a nutritionally important vegetable crop, and the development of high-performing cultivars is essential to enhance productivity and meet consumer demand. This study was conducted at the Research and Development Farm of Cnesh Agri (Pvt) Ltd., Giriulla, to evaluate 70 newly developed Fl hybrids alongside five commercial varieties (Padma, Platinum, Rajitha, KC-1, and Thilina) under bothpoly tunnel and open-field conditions. Agronomic and yield-related traits were recorded, and hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the hybrids into five clusters under poly tunnel conditions and three clusters under open-field conditions. In the open field, hybrids TOH089 (4487.53 +323.39 g), TOH127 (4144.00 +846.16 g), TOH096 (4014.00 +167.59 g), TOH063 (4025.69 + 335.18 g), TOHl28 (3789.67 + 393.52 g), TOH075 (3147.39 + 183.10 g), TOH050 (3563.28 + 374.32 g), TOH029 (3844.39 + 350.15 g), TOH072 (37t7.78 + 461.72 g), and TOH081(3709.50 + 345.09 g) exhibited superior yield performance over commercial check, Platinum Fl (2009.08 + 410.50 g). Under poly tunnel conditions, ToH098 (2623.7 + 383.95 g), TOH107 (3614.00 + 461.00 g), ToH128 (2742.33 * 263.83 g), TOH096 (2506.00 + 280.38 g), TOH086 (3022.00 + 212.00 g), TOH036 (2220.00 i 928.00 g), TOH081 (2569.00 +569.47 g), TOH057 (2611.33 + 306.31 g), TOH083 (3133.33 + 162.46 g), and Padma (3190.00 * 50.39 g) ranked highest yield. Notably, TOH081, TOH096, and TOH128 consistently performed well across both environments. These elite hybrids represent strong candidates for commercial cultivation and valuable breeding materials for future improvement of tomato productivity, adaptability, and sustainability in Sri Lanka.