Genotype × Environment Interaction: A Prerequisite for Tomato Variety Development

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is the second most important vegetable crop in the world due to its high level of nutrition particularly in vitamins and antioxidants. It is grown in several ecologies of the world due to its adaptability and ease of cultivation. Besides field conditions, tomatoes are grown in controlled environments which range from hydroponics and simple high tunnel structures to highly automated screen houses in advanced countries. However, the yield and quality of the fruits are highly influenced by the environment. This results in unpredictable performances in different growing environments in terms of quality, a phenomenon known as genotype by environment (G × E) interaction which confounds selection efficiency. Various approaches are employed by plant breeders to evaluate and address the challenges posed by genotype by environment interaction. This chapter discusses various field and controlled environments for growing tomatoes and the effect of these environments on the performance of the crop. The various types of genotype × environment interactions and their effect of the tomato plant are discussed. Finally, efforts are made to suggest ways and methods of mitigating the confounding effects of genotype × environment interaction including statistical approaches.problem of GEI is that its effect thwarts the selection of suitable varieties by breeders because elite varieties developed for one location may not perform the same in different locations. In some cases, the quality of fruits of tomatoes is significantly influenced by genotype by environment interaction. Such interactions confuse the selection of the superior cultivars by altering their relative productiveness in different environments. Though tomatoes do well in both tropical and temperate climates, its performance can vary with respect to the environments.

Flavor and Other Quality Traits of Tomato Cultivars Bred for Diverse Production Systems as Revealed in Organic Low-Input Management

“…The suitability of cultivars for a particular location may not be similar to another location ( 48 ). Usually, inconsistent quality performance in different growing environments is the result of genotype by environment (G × E) interaction (GEI) ( 49 ). Cultivar-by-harvest and year (C × H × Y) interactions were significant for 17 VOCs and not significant for 14 VOCs ( Supplementary Table 5 ), illustrating the stability performance of the cultivars at different harvest dates, years, and their interactions.…”

Genotypic variability and genetic parameters for root yield, dry matter and related traits of cassava in the Guinea Savannah ecological zone of Ghana

“…This suggests the tendency of the different genotypes to produce variable performances in different years depending on the environmental conditions. Several authors have suggested that significant genotype × environment interaction arises due to differential ranking of genotypic performances in different environments or years and can confound selection (Amelework et al, 2023;Aghogho et al, 2022;Bakare et al, 2022;Ebem et al, 2021;Osei et al, 2018). It could also arise from unequal variances (heterogenous variances) among genotypic means when evaluated in different environments (Amelework et al, 2023;Bakare et al, 2022).…”

Mean Performance and Stability of Open Pollinated Tomato Varieties in Multi-Environment Trials: Selection Based on Yield

“…Given the significance of this crop from both production and industrial perspectives, and to address the increasing demand for this vegetable, it is essential to develop genotypes that enhance both production and quality [5]. Genotype x environmental interactions pose problems in the development of varieties and in their selection for cultivation in a given region /location [9,24,25,32]. It becomes difficult to identify the most promising genotypes due to their relative ranking over several locations or environments [23].…”