The expression of tin gene in prolongated tomato fruit ripening - Lycopersicom esculentum Mill.

Abstract

Tomato selection programme, aiming to create a tomato hybrid with better fruit firmness, has been based on adding rin gene in perspective selection material. The fruit firmness has been based on decelerated ripening which prolongs the shelf life. Heterozygote genotypes (rin/+) have considerably longer shelf life that genotypes with uniform ripening (+/+). The effects of rin gene on shelf life have been examined on four experimental hybrids (K 56S K - 18, K - 64 and K -15 - rin/+ genetic configuration) compared with Atina Fl genotype (uniform ripening +/+) K - 91 selected, line (rin/rin) and Fino F1 (DRS) unknown genetic construction and very good fruit firmness. The parameter for shelf life has been the fruit weight loss during the preservation - from harvest till the fading. The weight loss has been recorded every 7th day during two months. The experimental hybrids showed good agro technical characteristics of mid early tomato intended for production in the open field. During the shelf life, the genotype K - 15 faded the most slowly, both in the group of green and mature fruits.