BARI Tomato-19 as a Promising Cultivar: A Comparative Study of Growth, Quality, and Yield Attributes

Tomatoes constitute a significant vegetable in Bangladesh, widely produced during winter. Though hybrid cultivars yield more than open-pollinated cultivars developed by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), growers cannot preserve hybrid seeds and have to buy new seeds every year. Considering the given situation, this study tested that BARI-released tomato varieties differ significantly in growth and yield under the agro-ecological conditions of central Bangladesh. Seven tomato varieties, viz. BARI Tomato-15, BARI Tomato-16, BARI Tomato-17, BARI Tomato-19, BARI Tomato-20, BARI Tomato-21, and BARI Tomato-2 were evaluated to identify high yielding and early mature cultivars. The experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2022–23 using a Randomized Complete Block Design, and data were collected on major phenological, morphological, and yield contributing traits. Findings revealed that BARI Tomato-19 flowered earliest (26.18 days), fruited earliest (35.43 days), and provided the earliest harvest, whereas BARI Tomato-20 produced the tallest plants and the highest brix content. BARI Tomato-17 produced the heaviest individual fruits, while BARI Tomato-20 had the most fruits per plant. Yield varied widely, with BARI Tomato-19 producing the highest yield (85.03 t ha⁻¹) and BARI Tomato-2 the lowest. Correlation analysis indicated that fruit length, diameter, and flesh thickness positively influenced yield, whereas higher Brix was associated with lower productivity. Overall, the findings confirm that BARI Tomato-19 is the most productive and earliest-maturing variety, making it highly suitable for commercial cultivation in Bangladesh.