Abstract

Notwithstanding the importance of tomato in human diet, the average yield of the crop in Africa hardily exceeds 7.5 tha^-1. There is continuous unavailability of high yielding cultivars that are adapted to diverse environment and suitable for different purposes. Consequently, evaluation of introduced tomato genotypes for desired horticultural characteristics to identify superior genotypes for additional improvement in yield and yield related traits is indispensible. Hence eight tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) genotypes including parental were field planted in a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Department of Horticulture Nursery Unit, School of Natural resources Management, Njala University, Njala Campus, Moyamba District, Southern Sierra Leone to evaluate them for good horticultural traits. Data collected include plant height at 50% and 100% flowering, stem girth at 50% and 100% flowering, days to first, 50% and 100% flowering, days to maturity, number of fruits set per plant, number of fruits harvested per plant, average fruit weights, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit flesh thickness, locule number, marketable and nonmarketable fruits per plant. Results from the study indicated that all genotypes studied are adaptable to the Sierra Leone climatic conditions. P₁ (097) recorded the highest number of fruits set per plant, number of fruits harvested per plant and tallest and largest plant height and stem girth at 100% flowering. BC₂F₂ had the highest locule number while R₃P₉ had the heaviest fruit weight. P₂ (213) had the thickest fruit flesh thickness and longest duration to fruit maturity respectively while P₁ (097), BC₁F₂ and R₃P₉ had the same number of shortest days to maturity. Regarding fruit length and diameter, R₃P₈ and R₆P₆ had the longest and widest. With respects to marketable and nonmarketable fruit per plant, P₁ (097) recorded the highest correspondingly.

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