S01 - Session O10 - Fruit quality and yield related traits of intraspecific recombinant inbred lines developed for novel fruit color of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Authors: Ivanka Tringovska *, Stanislava Grozeva, Gancho Pasev, Veneta Stoeva, Daniela Ganeva, Dimitrina Kostova

The current study was designed with the aim of: (i) developing a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population for novel fruit color, and (ii) phenotyping RILs for agronomic and fruit quality traits. The population was initiated from a cross between pink- and orange-fruited tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) genotypes. Parents were selected in order to diversify tomato colour and to introduce resistance against Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV). Ninety-three F 6 RILs and five F 6 lines from single plant selection along with parental lines were used in a phenotyping trial. Morphological and agronomic traits were assessed by 30 qualitative and quantitative tomato descriptors. The following fruit quality traits were characterized at full maturity stage: exterior fruit colour, fruit firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), ascorbic acid content, total polyphenols (TP) and antioxidant activity (AA). Four main colours were observed in the RILs: orange, pink and red as well as a novel orange-pink colour. CIELab parameters of fruit exocarp exhibited significant changes among the groups pre-defined based on visual colour assessment. The most notable differences were observed in the a* component (green to red) where pink and red fruits had higher values than fruits with orange and orange-pink colour. In contrast, the L* (white to black) and b* (blue to yellow) components in the orange and orange-pink fruits were higher than those in the pink and red fruits. The higher chroma in the groups with orange and orange-pink fruits, indicating more purity of the colour, may indicate high consumer acceptance. According to Hue angle (colour tone), the orange-pink colour is closer orange than to pink. Besides the external fruit colour, variation in traits, such as inflorescence type, fruit shape and weight, productivity, fruit firmness, SSC, ascorbic acid content, TP and AA was also observed ot aid in the selection of elite breeding lines with orange-pink fruit.