Unveiling the genetic potential of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) genotypes, hybrids for yield and fruit borer resistance Thota Harshita1,*, Delvadiya I. R.2 1Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara-144001 (Punjab) 2Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara-144001 (Punjab) *E-Mail: harshitarao400@gmail.com
Online Published on 18 April, 2024. Abstract A half-diallel cross involving nine diverse brinjal genotypes, excluding reciprocals, yielded thirty-six combinations for the investigation of combining ability and gene action related to yield components. Varied genetic differences were observed among the genotypes for analyzed features, indicating that both additive and non-additive gene actions are influencing most traits. Examination of the overall combining ability effects highlighted JBR-5, JBR-3, and JBR-4 as effective general combiners for both fruit yield per plant and fruit and shoot borer infestation. Crosses demonstrating substantial specific combining ability effects in fruit yield also displayed noteworthy impacts on one or more components of yield. Promising combinations like JBR-3 X JBR-5, JBL-1 X JBR-5, and JBL-2 X JBL-3 showed potential for varietal improvement, pending multi-location yield trials to confirm their effectiveness. The most favourable cross, JBR-3 X JBR-5 (0.60), demonstrated significantly positive SCA effects for yield per plant, coupled with high and positive effects for fruit length and number of fruits per plant. Further, it also demonstrated enhanced fruit and shoot borer resistance. Most traits exhibited high narrow-sense heritability, suggesting a predominant role of additivity in phenotypic variability. Understanding the genetic mechanisms influencing economically important quantitative traits is crucial for devising successful breeding strategies. Future research should delve into advanced genomic techniques to unravel the genetic architecture of these traits and expedite the development of improved brinjal varieties with enhanced yield and resistance characteristics. Top Keywords Half-diallel analysis, Combining ability, Gene action, Yield components. Top |