Mutagenic effect of ethyl methane sulfonate in M2 generation of three genotypes of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

In this study, three genotypes of tomato (Cobra, Roma vf, and Tropimech) were subjected to induced mutation with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). The result in the M2 generation was analyzed and traits assessed showed significant different (P < 0.05) among the variants of genotypes of tomato species studied. Cobra and Roma vf genotypes produced lots of mutants of interest. Cobra variant 2 (CV2) had the highest fruit weight of 2.796kg with a total of 36.7 number of harvested fruits per plant. Variant 3 had a fruit weight per plant of 2.178kg and it produced the highest number of harvested fruits per plant of 43. Other relatively performed variants of cobra include, variant 7 with the fruit weight of 1.7131kg and 28.3 number of harvested fruits. Variant 8 recorded a fruit weight per plant of 1.474kg with 30.3 number of harvested fruits. Variants 5 and 4 equally performed well with their fruit weights of 1.254kg and 1.232kg and number of harvested fruits of 29 and 19.7 respectively. In Roma vf, the highest fruit weight per plant of 1.2094kg was recorded by variant 8 with 69 harvested fruits per plant. This variant produced lots of fruits with a creeping growth habit that makes it behave like the indeterminate variety. Variant 2 recorded 1.11613kg with 25.33 of harvested fruits giving an average fruit weight of 44.06g. The M2 generation of Tropimech variety (TV) varied significantly in values recorded for the variants with TV3 recording highest fruit weight per plant of 368.47g.