Knowledge on the genetic system controlling the quantitative traits is important for devising an efficient selection program through the use of a suitable mating design. This study aims to determine the best parental combinations, by evaluating the effects of general and specific combining ability of the studied genotypes, for traits viz., days to 50 % flowering, plant height, number of primary branches, number of flowers per cluster, number of fruits per cluster, fruit set (%), number of fruit per plant, average fruit weight (g), fruit length (cm), fruit width (cm), number of locules per fruit, number of calyxs per fruit, number of seeds per fruit and total fruit yield per plant (kg). The results showed that the ratio ot gca variance/ sca variance was less than unity for all the characters studied indicating predominance of nonadditive gene action. The best hybrids for the studied traits were JTP-02-07/ DVRT-2, Pant T-8/ DVRT-2, Imp. Shalimar/ DVRT-2, Local-2/ DVRT-2, RCMT-1/ Cherry Raipur, KS-227/ CO-3 on the basis of specific combining ability effects. Lines viz., RCMT-2, KS-227, KS-229, Pant T-7, Local-2, JTP-02-07 and Pant T-8 were good general combiners for different fruit yield and its related traits.

Keywords: Tomato, Gene action, Combining ability, Earliness, agro-morphological characters