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Tomato is one of the most important species belonging to the Solanaceae family. Focusing on the importance of tomato in human nutrition and the problem of narrowed genetic variability, the aim of the study was to assess morphological and chemical diversity in IFVCNS germplasm collection. Twenty genotypes were analysed for the morphological and chemical fruit traits: average mass (g), length (cm), diameter (cm), pericarp thickness (mm), locules number, moisture content (%), total soluble solids (°Brix), ash content (%), total acidity (%) and pH value. Selected plant material for analysis included: landraces, traditional varieties, breeding lines and commercial varieties. Differences among tomato genotypes in all fruit traits were determined. Fruit mass and locules number had the highest coefficient of variation. The least differences between genotypes were observed in the fruit moisture content. Four principal components accounted for 90.6% of total variance or 36.5%, 24.2%, 19.8% and 10.1%, respectively. Along the axis of the first main component, genotypes were classified into three groups. The first component was defined by fruit length, diameter and mass. The second component was correlated with pericarp thickness and locules number, and the third with moisture content, ash content and total soluble solids. Based on the cluster analysis, genotypes were classified into three groups which were in agreement with the PCA groups. Hybridization between genotypes from different groups was proposed in order to create new hybrids and varieties and to increase tomato germplasm diversity. By crossing those genotypes, improved recombinations in morphological and chemical traits can be expected.

Late blight (LB) caused by Phytophthora infestans (Mont) de Bary is a highly destructive disease of tomato and appears worldwide. The losses caused by late blight depend on several factors, but main are weather conditions, genotype and amount of inoculum. The aim of this paper was to determine the reaction to the late blight in ten tomato genotypes under conditions of natural infection and to detect the potential sources of resistance. These genotypes are from tomato seed collection of Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops. Two wild Solanum species (S. pimpinellifolium and S. habrochaites), four varieties, two lines and one population were included in the trial. Weather conditions in Serbia in 2014 were very favourable for the disease development. Six assessments of LB intensity were performed from the end of June until the beginning of September. Per each genotype twenty four plants were evaluated according to 0-9 scale. Obtained data were transformed to percent and analysed by Kruskal-Wallis test. Intensity of LB symptoms on tomato plants in the second and third assessment in July was very low, up to 10%. In the following evaluations, the level of the infection increased and in the final assessment, wild species and local population grouped as less susceptible to the disease. However, the intensity of late blight, under extremely favourable weather conditions, was also high, 50% on wild species S. pimpinellifolium and S. habrochaites and 70% on local population Volovsko srce.

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is a vegetable from Solanaceae family and its fruit is used in human consumption. It is produced from seedlings in the Republic of Serbia and quantity of seed used for seedlings depends on germination and 1000 seed mass, and ranges from 250 to 350 g ha-1. The aim of this paper was to determine effect of fruit maturity stages and storage duration of harvested fruit on eggplant seed quality. Seed was extracted from technologically mature, semi-mature and botanically mature fruit. Germination energy, germination and 1000 seed mass were tested after seed extraction. Part of harvested fruit was stored for 10 and 20 days, after which seed was extracted and the same seed qualities were tested. It was determined that seed from technologically mature fruit had germination around 25%. In semi-mature fruit, germination abruptly increased from 2% (seed extracted after harvest) to 88% (seed extracted 20 days after harvest). Seed obtained from botanically mature fruit had maximum germination after storing for 20 days after harvest and amounted to 99%. In all tested variants, 1000 seed mass increased with storage life, and it reached 5.48 g in botanically mature fruit.

This study investigates variability of tomato genotypes based on morphological and biochemical fruit traits. Experimental material is a part of tomato genetic collection from Institute of Filed and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, Serbia. Genotypes were analyzed for fruit mass, locule number, index of fruit shape, fruit colour, dry matter content, total sugars, total acidity, lycopene and vitamin C. Minimum, maximum and average values and main indicators of variability (CV and σ) were calculated. Principal component analysis was performed to determinate variability source structure. Four principal components, which contribute 93.75% of the total variability, were selected for analysis. The first principal component is defined by vitamin C, locule number and index of fruit shape. The second component is determined by dry matter content, and total acidity, the third by lycopene, fruit mass and fruit colour. Total sugars had the greatest part in the fourth component.

Cabbage is an important vegetable crop that is grown at 20,891 ha in Serbia. Growing cabbage as a double crop intensifies land use and increases the profitability of crop production. Double cropping of cabbage is a well-established practice in Serbia. Domestic cultivars and populations of cabbage predominate in the commercial production and this choice of assortment dictates the subsequent use of the harvested cabbage crop. The two main types of use are fresh consumption and pickling. Under Serbian growing conditions, the optimum time for late cabbage transplanting is the first half of July, a period characterized by high temperatures and insufficient and unevenly distributed rainfall. Growing cabbages during this period without the help of irrigation is a fairly risky proposition. Late cabbage cultivars and hybrids must be harvested before temperatures drops below -5°C. Cabbage can survive temperatures of -4°C to -5°C for only a limited period of time and prolonged exposure to such conditions will result in the plant being winterkilled and the head losing its market value.

Five local tomato populations and fourteen heirloom cultivars were analyzed in this study. The analyzed genotypes represent a part of tomato collection of Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad. The following fruit and plant traits were analyzed: growth type, fruit color, fruit shape index, fruit weight, number of locules and dry matter content. Cluster analysis was performed so as to group the analyzed genotypes by homology and divergence. The aim of this article was to determine the importance of heirloom cultivars and local populations as sources of genetic variability in tomato breeding process.