Studies on Combining Ability for Yield and Quality Traits in Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

The experimental material in brinjal (eggplant) comprised 19 parents (15 lines + 4 testers), 60 F₁ crosses and two standard checks (BH-1 and BH-2). This was grown in Randomized Block Design, with three replications. Lines vs. testers showed significance for all characters except plant height, plant spread, number of primary branches, dry matter, total sugars and total phenol. Analysis for parents vs. hybrids showed significance for all the characters except average fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, plant spread and number of primary branches. Analysis of Variance for combining ability revealed mean squares due to lines and testers were significant for all the characters except plant height, plant spread, number of primary branches, total sugars, total phenol and content of anthocyanins. The ratio of variance due to specific combining ability and general combining ability (σ²SCA: σ²GCA) was greater than unity, indicating non-additive genetic control for all traits except plant spread and total phenols. Among the females, Punjab Barsati, PBR-91-1, RCMBL-1-1, BSR-11; and among the males, BB-93-C and U-8-61-3 were best general combiners for yield and yield components. Punjab Barsati was the best combiner for days to 50% flowering, days to first fruit harvest, number of fruits per plant and number of primary branches. The cross JBR-3-16 × PB-64 manifested best SCA effects for days to 50% flowering; PBR-91-1JBSR-98-2 for average fruit weight; BSR-11 × PB-64 for fruit length; BSR-11× U-8-61-3 for fruit girth, and the cross HABL-1 × JBSR-98-2 for yield per plant and per hectare.