Determination of Verticillium and Fusarium wilt resistance levels of different interspecific hybrid eggplant lines

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the resistance of 4 wild eggplant species (Solanum aethiopium group Aculeatum, S. incanum, S. macrocarpon, S. linnaeanum), 3 cultivated eggplant varieties (‘Anamur F1’, ‘Pala’, ‘Yamula’), 1 eggplant rootstock (KĂśksal F1) and 34 interspecific hybrids to Verticillium dahliae Kleb. and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melongenae. Disease resistance of eggplant genotypes was determined by the pathogenicity test. The disease severity values varied between 0–80% for Verticillium and between 0–100% for Fusarium. Among the 42 genotypes, 18 genotypes were found to be moderately resistant and 1 genotype was found to be highly resistant to Verticillium. At the same time, 2 of the 42 genotypes were found to be moderately resistant and 22 of the 42 genotypes were found to be highly resistant to Fusarium. All hybrids with S. integrifollium, Solanum aethiopicum group Gilo as father were found to be highly resistant to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melongenae. Solanum linnaeanum did not exhibit any disease symptoms and was found to be highly resistant to both disease agents. Present interspecific hybrid eggplant genotypes with known resistance to Verticillium and Fusarium wilt are expected to have significant contributions in developing new eggplant rootstocks and hybrid eggplant cultivars in the future.