Abstract
ABSTRACT The eggplant is a highly valuable horticultural crop grown all over the world and it is of substantial economic importance in Asia. However, its production is severely threatened by several soil-borne and foliar diseases, insect-pests, drought, heat, and frost damage. Therefore, efforts to transfer useful resistance genes into eggplant from their wild relatives is important. In the present study, interspecific and intraspecific hybridization was carried out, that included three cultivated genotypes of eggplant (Solanum melongena MEE, Solanum melongena MEP, Solanum melongena MEB) and one wild Solanum species (Solanum incanum INC). The F1 hybrids were made by inter and intraspecific hybridization. A total of 632 possible inter and intraspecific reciprocal crosses was performed where only three were successful. The minimum days to flowering were observed in parent MEP, and maximum plant height was measured in MEE×MEB. Maximum fruit length was observed in parent MEB. Furthermore, fruit diameter, leaf width, leaf length, and fruit yield per plant were found maximum in hybrid MEExINC. Our results suggest that these materials will be of great interest for the genetic improvement of eggplant; they may have a tremendous potential to increase tolerance to abiotic stresses, such as to drought and heat, as well as increased nutrient and herbal values. Findings of this study will be helpful for the human health, ultimately contributing to the development of a new generation of plants adapted to climate.
Highlights
A berinjela é uma cultura hortícola muito valorizada, cultivada em todo o globo e de grande importância econômica na Ásia
The eggplant belongs to the Solanaceae family, which is a highly valuable horticultural crop grown all over the world and it is of substantial economic importance in Asia, Africa, and the subtropics (Collonnier et al, 2001)
We reported the successful interspecific hybridization of eggplant and its wild relative S. incanum
Summary
A berinjela é uma cultura hortícola muito valorizada, cultivada em todo o globo e de grande importância econômica na Ásia. Current improvement of the crops by using wild relatives in breeding has gained more importance in the climate change scenario besides conferring resistance to different diseases (Tyack & Dempewolf, 2015). We reported the successful interspecific hybridization of eggplant and its wild relative S. incanum. Given the high quality (phenolic contents) of S. incanum, and tolerance to drought and resistance to a few diseases (Prohens et al, 2013: Mangino et al, 2020) as well as suitability as rootstock (Gisbert et al, 2011), these materials may be of great interest for developing a new generation of eggplant varieties adapted to climate change and tolerance to drought and heat stress
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