Heterotic combinations among advanced breeding lines of brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the performance of hybrids developed from advanced breeding lines in brinjal. Fifty F1 hybrids including three checks of different fruit groups were evaluated for yield and quality attributes in randomized block design with three replications. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences for different characters in small round, big round and long hybrids except fruit length among small round hybrids. Among small round hybrids, SR-5 × SR-9322 showed the highest heterosis for the number of fruits per plant (60.80%) and fruit yield per plant (6.17%) over the standard check PBH-3. Among big round hybrids, BR-15-2 × SR-9322, PC-123 × JG, BR-324 × SR-9322 and MR-494 × SR-6793 showed significant heterosis for a number of fruits per plant and fruit yield per plant in comparison to standard check PBHR-41. Among long hybrids, the hybrid combinations, BL-47 × MR-494, BL-47 × BR-21-6, BL-47 × MR-431, BL-47 × BR-1142 performed the best for fruit yield per plant overcheck hybrid PBH-5. For quality traits such as dry matter percentage, total phenols and anthocyanin, SR-5 × SR-9322 and MR-494 × SR-9322 (small round hybrids), BR-15-2 × SR-9322 and BR-1142 × SR-6793 (big round hybrids) and BL-214 × MR-319, BL-23 × MR-319 and MR-494 × BL-72 (long hybrids) performed better than their respective standard checks. The best-performing hybrids in the present investigation can further be exploited for commercial release