The genetic variability for the fruit's shelf-life and weight was evaluated in twenty-six F3 families derived from an interspecific hybrid between the cv. Caimanta of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. and the line LA722 of L. pimpinellifolium (Jusl.) Mill. The means for fruit's shelf-life were 8, 15, 18 and 13 days and for fruit weight were 52.17 g; 0.94 g; 4.45 g and 6.41 g in 'Caimanta', LA722, the F1 and in the F3 generations, respectively. No family was similar to the progenitor 'Caimanta' for fruit's shelf-life and only one family showed a shelf-life similar to the F1 generation mean. For fruit weight, four families were similar to the F1 generation mean and the F3 families differed from both parent means. The F3 family with the greatest values for fruit weight and shelf-life showed a fruit weight mean of 20.15 g and shelf-life period of 21.55 days. The smaller fruit weight was 2.81 g and the smaller shelf-life period for another family was 9.98 days. The wide genetic variability found for both traits between the families will permit to select divergent genotypes.
Lycopersicon esculentum; Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium; genetic variation; divergent selection; segregation; breeding methods
