Genetic Variability Studies on Solanum Lycopersicum
Abstract
Genetic variability is essential for improving crop species and forms the foundation of effective tomato breeding programs. Tomatoes exhibit extensive phenotypic and genotypic diversity across traits like fruit size, shape, color, yield, and stress resistance. This review synthesizes current research on tomato genetic variability, integrating traditional morphological assessments with advanced molecular tools like DNA markers, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and transcriptomics. Statistical techniques such as variability coefficients, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis are highlighted for data interpretation. Modern technologies, including CRISPR-Cas9 and machine learning, are explored for their role in unlocking hidden genetic potential. By consolidating knowledge, the review emphasizes the importance of genetic variability in breeding high-yielding, stress-tolerant, and nutritionally enhanced tomatoes. It provides insights for developing sustainable production systems and addressing global challenges related to food security and climate change. This comprehensive analysis aims to guide future strategies in tomato improvement.
Keywords
Genetic variabilitySolanum lycopersicumtomato breedingquantitative traits
References
Aflitos S, Schijlen E, De Jong H. Exploring genetic variation in the tomato (Solanum section Lycopersicon) clade by whole-genome sequencing. The Plant Journal. 2014;80:136- Ahang B, Pashapour S, Ghasemi A, Zabihi A. Investigating the genetic diversity of several varieties of Iranian tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) using RAPD and ISSR molecular markers. Food Health. 2024;6(4):18. doi: 10.53388/FH2024018. Ahmed HGM-D, Sajjad M, Li M, Azmat MA, Rizwan M, Maqsood RH, Khan SH. Selection Criteria for Drought-Tolerant Bread Wheat Genotypes at Seedling Stage. Sustainability. 2019;11(9):2584. doi:10.3390/su11092584. Alishah O, Bagherieh-Najjar MB, Fahmideh L. Correlation, path coefficient and factor analysis of some quantitative and agronomic traits in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Almiahy FH, Al-Jaf IH. Detection of genetic diversity for five varieties of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) using the RAPD-PCR technique. Int J Agricult Stat Sci. 2023;19(1):1421-1425. Anne C. Choosing the Right Molecular Genetic Markers for Studying Biodiversity: from Molecular Evolution to Practical Aspects. Genetica. 2006;127:101-120. Ansari A, Sikarwar P, Lade S, Yadav H, Ranade SH. Genetic diversity clusters in germplasm of Cluster Bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L., Taub), an important food and an industrial legume crop. J Agric Sci Technol. 2016;18:1407-1418. Anwar A, Roy S, Islam MN. Genetic variability analysis of tomato varieties using RAPD markers under heat stress. Bangladesh J Bot. 2024;53(1):91-100. Athinodorou F, Foukas P, Tsaniklidis G, Kotsiras A, Chrysargyris A, Delis C, Kyratzis AC, Tzortzakis N, Nikoloudakis N. Morphological Diversity, Genetic Characterization, and Phytochemical Assessment of the Cypriot Tomato Germplasm. Plants. 2021;10(8):1698. doi:10.3390/plants10081698. Balzarini M, Teich I, Bruno C, Peña A. Making genetic biodiversity measurable: a review of statistical multivariate methods to study variability at gene level. Rev Fac Cienc Agrarias. 2011;43(1):261-275. Barcaccia G, Albertini E, Rosellini D, Tavoletti S, Veronesi F. Inheritance and mapping of 2n-egg production in diploid alfalfa. Genome. 2000;43(3):528-537. Barchenger DW, Hsu YM, Ou JY, Lin YP, Lin YC, Balendres MAO, et al. Whole genome resequencing and complementation tests reveal candidate loci contributing to bacterial wilt (Ralstonia sp.) resistance in tomato. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):8374. Basfore S, Sikder S, Das B, KV M, Chatterjee R. Genetic variability, character associations and path coefficient studies in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) grown under terai region of West Bengal. IJCS. 2020;8(2):569-573. Beecher GR. Nutrient content of tomatoes and tomato products. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1998;218:98-100. Bhandari HR, Bhanu AN, Srivastava K, Singh MN, Shreya HA. Assessment of genetic diversity in crop plants-an overview. Adv Plants Agric Res. 2017;7(3):279-286. Bhandari P, Kim J, Lee TG. Genetic architecture of fresh-market tomato yield. BMC Plant Biol. 2023;23(1):18. Bostan H. Bioinformatics strategies for genomics: examples and approaches for tomato. Brewer MT, Lang L, Fujimura K, Dujmovic N, Gray S, van der Knaap E. Development of a controlled vocabulary and software application to analyze fruit shape variation in tomato and other plant species. Plant Physiol. 2006;141(1):15-25. Cambiaso V, Pratta GR, da Costa JHP, Zorzoli R, Francis DM, Rodríguez GR. Whole genome re-sequencing analysis of two tomato genotypes for polymorphism insight in cloned genes and a genetic map construction. Scientia Horticulturae. 2019;247:58-66. Caramante M, Rouphael Y, Corrado G. Genetic diversity among and within tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) landraces grown in Southern Italy. Genet Resour Crop Evol. 2024;71(1):157-166. Castellana S, Ranzino L, Beritognolo I, Cherubini M, Luneia R, Villani F, Mattioni C. Genetic characterization and molecular fingerprint of traditional Umbrian tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) landraces through SSR markers and application for varietal identification. Genet Resour Crop Evol. 2020;67(7):1807-1820. Chaudhary J, Khatri P, Singla P, Kumawat S, Kumari A, Vikram A, Deshmukh R. Advances in omics approaches for abiotic stress tolerance in tomato. Biology. 2019;8(4):90. Chen X, Liu YY, Zheng FS, Cheng GX, Guo M, Li JS, Wang XM. Construction of a core collection of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) germplasm based on phenotypic traits and SNP markers. Scientia Horticulturae. 2025;339:113855. Cheng Q, Wang X. Machine Learning for AI Breeding in Plants. Genomics Proteomics Bioinformatics. 2024;22(4):qzae051. Chitwood-Brown J, Vallad GE, Lee TG, Hutton SF. Characterization and elimination of linkage-drag associated with Fusarium wilt race 3 resistance genes. Theor Appl Genet. 2021;134:2129-2140. Cholin S, Raghavendra S. Assessment of genetic variability in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) for yield and yield attributing traits. Pharm Innov J. 2021;10:399- Copati MG, Pessoa HP, Dariva FD, Castro Filho MND, Nick C. Tomato families possessing resistance to late blight also display high-quality fruit. Acta Scientiarum Agron. 2024;46:e66790. Dan LIU, Liang YANG, Zhang JZ, Zhu GT, Lü HJ, Lü YQ, Wu YY. Domestication and breeding changed tomato fruit transcriptome. J Integr Agric. 2020;19(1):120-132. Darrigues A, Hall J, van der Knaap E, Francis DM, Dujmovic N, Gray S. Tomato analyzer- color test: a new tool for efficient digital phenotyping. J Am Soc Hortic Sci. 2008;133(4):579-586. Debnath A, Kumar R, Prasad SK, Sharma N. Genetic variation and character association study among morphological and biochemical traits of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) genotypes. The Bioscan. 2021;16(1):69-76. Diouf I, Albert E, Duboscq R, Santoni S, Bitton F, Gricourt J, Causse M. Integration of QTL, transcriptome and polymorphism studies reveals candidate genes for water stress response in tomato. Genes. 2020;11(8):900. Domínguez M, Dugas E, Benchouaia M, Leduque B, Jiménez-Gómez JM, Colot V, Quadrana L. The impact of transposable elements on tomato diversity. Nat Commun. 2020;11(1):4058. Dube J, Ddamulira G, Maphosa M. Tomato breeding in sub-Saharan Africa-Challenges and opportunities: A review. Afr Crop Sci J. 2020;28(1):131-140. Dwary S, Dukpa P, Gaikwad M, Thapa U, Kumar P, Yeasmin S. Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance Studies in Diverse Genotypes of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Int J Plant Soil Sci. 2023;35(22):441-446. Dwiningsih Y, Rahmaningsih M, Alkahtani J. Development of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in tropical crops. Adv Sustain Sci Eng Technol. 2020;2(2):343558. El-Aziz MA, Farid S, Elkomey S. Evaluation of molecular and phenotypic diversity in relation to heterosis in some tomato lines under different climatic conditions. J Agric Chem Biotechnol. 2016;7(5):141-151. doi: 10.21608/JACB.2016.40796. El-Mansy AB, Abd El-Moneim D, ALshamrani SM, Safhi FA, Abdein MA, Ibrahim AA. Genetic diversity analysis of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) with morphological, cytological, and molecular markers under heat stress. Horticulturae. 2021;7(4):65. FAOSTAT. FAOSTAT. 2019. Available at: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home [Accessed April 15, 2019]. Ferrero V, Baeten L, Blanco-Sánchez L, Planelló R, Díaz-Pendón JA, Rodríguez-Echeverría S, de la Peña E. Complex patterns in tolerance and resistance to pests and diseases underpin the domestication of tomato. New Phytol. 2020;226(1):254-266. Foolad MR. Genome mapping and molecular breeding of tomato. Int J Plant Genomics. 2007;10:1-52. Foroud GN, Mousavizadeh SJ, Akbarpour V, Mashayekhi K. Fruit heritability and the effect of pollen on fruit set of some tomato (Solanum esculentum Mill.) accessions. J Crop Breed. 2021;13(39):77-86. Fratianni F, Cozzolino A, Nazzaro F, Riccardi R, Spigno P. Q
More Articles from JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND GENETIC RESEARCH
Information Processing Speed and Cognitive Style as Joint Predictors of Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Biology in Anambra State, Nigeria
Author: Okigbo, Ebele Chinelo, Pat-Anyaeji, Veronica Nnenna
Effect of Inquiry-Based Instructional Strategy on Senior Secondary Students’ Interest, Achievement and Retention in Biology in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
Author: Ubom, A. E. B., Ojelade, I. A. and Ekpruke, Oghenekevwe Jennifer
Influence of Soil Amendment, Season and Environment on the Germination Potential of Okra
Author: Sallet I., Chuku E. C., Nmom F. W. and Worlu C. W.
Biochemical Evaluation and Fungi Pathogens Associated with Fresh and Boiled Detarium microcarpum (Ofor) in Rivers State, Nigeria
Author: Emiri, U. N. and Chukwu, E. C.
Assessment of Sedimentation Rate of Aero-Pathogens in Health Centres in Port Harcourt
Author: Renner Renner Nrior & Gladden Karasira Lucky