Eggplant Varieties Research Articles

FIELD TO LABORATORY STUDIES ON INFESTATION, DAMAGE, DEVELOPMENT AND METAMORPHOSIS BY LEUCINODES ORBONALIS GUENÉE (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) USING SIX VARIETIES OF EGGPLANT

Field-to-laboratory studies on the infestation, damage, development and metamorphosis by Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were carried out using six varieties of eggplants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria under laboratory mean temperature and relative humidity conditions of 29.8 o C and 78.1 %, respectively. Four local government areas (Etche, Khana, Obio-Akpor and Oyigbo) important for eggplant growing were surveyed for L. orbonalis infestation. Four local eggplant varieties (gauta green, yallow big white, yallow white oval and yallow white oval with green stripe) and two exotic varieties (barbentane and F1 African beauty) were used for the field and laboratory studies. The varieties were differentiated into two species, Solanium aethiopicum and S. melongena . Field experiment using a land area of 72 m 2 was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications while the laboratory experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design on workbenches with three replications. Results showed that the African eggplant ( S. aethiopicum ) farms in the local government areas investigated were infested with L. orbonalis . The indigenous and exotic varieties studied were not resistant to the insect pest infestation. There is need to develop L. orbonalis resistant eggplant varieties. Results of the metamorphosis of the eggplant fruit and shoot borer under humid tropical conditions in Rivers State, Nigeria agreed with the information in literature; in addition, the present study has revealed that pupation in cocoons off the fruits observed, has implications for the use of non-chemical control methods against the pest. Keywords: Exotic varieties, Solanum aethiopicum , Key pest, Resistant, Cocoons

Leaf Chemical Compositions of Different Eggplant Varieties Affect Performance of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Nymphs and Adults.

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) MEAM1 is a serious pest of many crops worldwide, and its control mostly depends on insecticides. One of the most preferred host plants of B. tabaci is eggplant, Solanum melongena, although preferences among different cultivars of the whiteflies vary. We hypothesized that certain nutritional and defensive chemicals of plant leaves, such as nitrogen, glucose, fructose, sucrose, amino acids, total phenolic components, and moisture content may affect whitefly's feeding and ovipositional preference, fecundity and longevity, nymph development, and survival among different eggplant varieties. To seek the most susceptible eggplant variety for use as an attractive trap crop for whitefly adults, we determined the variation of leaf chemical compositions among six eggplant varieties (H149, JSZ, JGL, TLB, DYZ, and QXN) and evaluated the effects of their leaf chemicals to the performance of nymphs and adults of B. tabaci. In choice feeding and oviposition tests, the varieties 'H149' and 'JSZ' had the most eggs. The whiteflies had significantly higher fecundity, longevity, lowest nymph development period, and higher survivals on JSZ than on other varieties. The least preferred TLB variety possessed the lowest adults and eggs, the lowest fecundity and longevity, and nymph development period. JGL, DYZ, and QXN were considered as a moderately preferred variety. Leaf chemistry revealed that highly susceptible variety possessed higher concentration of nitrogen, glucose, amino acids, and lower moisture content. The resistant variety possessed higher amount of total phenolic component. Both nutritional and defensive chemicals combined associated with nymph and adult performance of whitefly.

First Report of Tomato mosaic virus Isolated From Solanum macrocarpon in Nigeria

Solanum macrocarpon, also known as African eggplant or gboma, is a plant of the Solanaceae family. It is a tropical perennial plant closely related to eggplant (Oboh et al. 2005). African eggplant originated from West Africa, but is now widely distributed in Central and East Africa and is widely cultivated for food, medicinal purposes, and as an ornamental (Oboh et al. 2005). In April 2016, virus symptoms of mosaic and leaf mottling were observed on African eggplant variety NHS20 in a vegetable farm in Oluseyi-Eleyele, Ibadan Northwest Local Government Area, Nigeria. Routine indexing of symptomatic African eggplant samples using direct antigen coating (DAC)-ELISA with antisera specific for Cowpea mottle virus (CPMoV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Cowpea mild mottle virus (CPMMV), Cowpea aphid borne mosaic virus (CABMV), Blackeye cowpea mosaic virus (BCMV), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) was carried out. Detection antibodies were purchased from Agdia (Indiana, U.S.A.). The result showed the presence of ToMV in 19 of 20 samples collected and indexed with optical density (OD) values for ToMV averaging 1.389 while the positive and negative controls had 2.226 and 0.264, respectively. No positive reactions were obtained for CPMoV (avg. OD 0.146, positive control 3.116, negative control 0.149), CMV (avg. OD 0.207, positive control 1.793, negative control 0.119), CPMMV (avg. OD 0.244, positive control 2.632, negative control 0.147), CABMV (avg. OD 0.137, positive control 1.575, negative control 0.196), BCMV (avg. OD 0.167, positive control 1.130, negative control 0.181), and TMV (avg. OD 0.443, positive control 1.372, negative control 0.295). The presence of ToMV was verified with reverse transcription (RT)-PCR using primer sets ToMVFor (5′-CTCCATCGTTCACACTCGTTACT-3′) and ToMVRev (5′-GATCTGTCAAAGTCTGAGAAACTT-3′) (Jacobia et al. 1998). RT-PCR produced a PCR amplicon of expected size (∼500 bp) and the product was purified and sequenced. Nucleotide sequence analysis confirmed the identity of the amplicon to be ToMV. Sequence comparisons showed 100 to 99% identity with known ToMV for coat and movement protein (CP and MP genes) sequences of ToMV isolates in GenBank (LN827938.1 and AAB97422.1). The sequence data were deposited in GenBank (KY751915.1). TMoV was confirmed in African eggplants in two other locations visited. The virus was readily transmitted by mechanical inoculation to 10 stands each of pepper, tomato, and African eggplants (S. macrocarpon) obtained from the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT). All plants inoculated tested positive for ToMV in ELISA and RT-PCR, although there were no visible symptoms on the pepper (NH1V) plants. The inoculated tomato (Ibadan local) and African eggplants (NHS20) showed mosaic, mottle, and yellowing of leaves similar to symptoms observed on field-infected African eggplant. ToMV has also been found to infect many solanaceous plants but occurrence from this particular species has not been documented, although a number of viruses infecting the commonly distributed eggplant, S. melongena L., have been reported from many parts of the world (Chen et al. 2001). However, Eggplant mottle crinkle virus and TMV have been reported to cause severe mosaic disease in African eggplant in Cameroon (Chen et al. 2001). ToMV has not been previously reported to infect S. macrocarpon. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ToMV on African eggplant in Nigeria. Additional work is needed to investigate the spread of ToMV and its interaction with other Solanaceous plants in Nigeria and the need for research to develop more effective management options.

Seed production potentiality in yield and quality of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Grown under summer and winter seasons

Two separate field experiments were conducted at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur during April to October 2012 (summer season) and October 2012 to March 2013 (winter season) to evaluate and compare the seasonal effect on fruit set, seed yield and seed quality of eggplant. Six eggplant varieties (BARI Begun-1, BARI Begun-5, BARI Begun- 6, BARI Begun-8, BARI Begun-9 and Khotkhotia) were grown separately with proper isolation in both the seasons. Significant variation in fruit set per plant, seed yield per fruit and seed quality of eggplant were observed due to execution of growing seasons. The highest seed yield per fruit was obtained from BARI Begun-6 in both the seasons. Number of fruits per plant, seeds per fruit and 1000-seed weight showed the highest in winter season (October to March) as a result the highest seed yield was obtained from the same season. Winter season also showed the best seed quality attributes like germination (%), co-efficient of germination and vigour index irrespective of variety used. Based on seed yield and seed quality, winter season (October to March) found to be more favourable for quality seed production of eggplant in Bangladesh condition.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 42(3): 437-446, September 2017

Participatory Varietal Selection and Agronomic Evaluation of African Eggplant and Roselle Varieties in Mali

African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L. and S. macrocarpon L.) is one of the most commonly consumed fruit vegetables in tropical Africa, in quantity and value probably the third after tomato and onion. Commercial production for supply to the cities is increasing. Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is another important vegetable crop in sub-Saharan Africa; its leaves, seed, and calyces are eaten. Roselle leaves and calyces are nutritious and rich in iron, β-carotene, and ascorbic acid. Although there is a market for African eggplant and Roselle, farmers have been slow to adopt new improved varieties due to use of traditional breeding method. To increase adoption rates of new varieties, we used a participatory varietal selection process to identify new varieties of both plants based on fruit yield, leaf, calyx traits, and consumers’ preference. Fifteen lines and varieties of each species from several African countries were evaluated in Bamako, Mali during the 2008 hot rainy season. A randomized complete block design with three replications was used for the selection process. Twenty-two vegetable farmers and traders (or users) from Bamako rated the African eggplant and Roselle varieties based on visual characteristics (fruit color, fruit shape, number of fruits per plant, fruit size, number of secondary branches per plant, leaf size, leaf shape, leaf color, number of calyces per plant, calyx shape, and calyx color). Using a scale from 0 (least preferred) to 5 (most preferred), the varieties and the criteria were ranked, to identify the best variety and the most important criteria. In addition, agronomics data of African eggplant (number of fruits per plant, marketable yield, fruit weight, fruits shape and fruit color) were collected. Agronomics data were also collected on Roselle calyces (number of calyces per plant, fresh calyces yield, dry calyces yield, dry matter and calyces color based on stem color) and leaves production (leaf length and width, economic yield, leaf shape and stem color). African eggplant line L10, varieties Soxna and Locale Gaya were highly rated for their visual appeal and have the potential to out-yield the local Malian variety. The fruit color and fruit shape, classified top two criteria through participatory selection criteria are important in the choice of users. For leafy entries of Roselle, leaf size was the most important trait. Samandah and line L28 were rated higher than the local check variety (Dah Rouge) for all traits. For calyx varieties of roselle, the number of calyces per plant was the most important trait. For leafy and calyx varieties, the agronomic evaluation show that yield is not a very important criterion in the choice of the users.

Quantification of Cry1Ac Protein in Bt Eggplant Fruits

The cultivation of genetically engineered crops has been expanded rapidly in worldwide in a very short span of time. Bt eggplant is a transgenic eggplant created by inserting a crystal protein gene Cry1Ac from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Four Bt eggplant varieties - BARI Bt Eggplant-1, BARI Bt Eggplant-2, BARI Bt Eggplant-3 and BARI Bt Eggplant-4 are started to cultivate in Bangladesh in 2014 as first genetically engineered crop in the country. In the present study, ELISA technique was adopted to quantify the Cry1Ac proteins in the fruits of newly released four Bt eggplant varieties. The expression of Cry1Ac was found among the fruits of the varieties varied from 29.53 to 33.99 µg g-1. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 5(3): 356-360

Grey Correlative Degree Analysis on the Cold-Resistant Traits of Parthenocarpic Eggplant

In order to breed new eggplant variety with parthenocarpic ability and strong cold-resistance, the six cold-resistant traits of fifteen eggplant resources with parthenocarpic ability were evaluated with grey correlative degree analysis. One non-parthenocarpic resource ‘Shenggao No. 2’ was used as control. The results indicated that ‘29’, ‘32’, ‘30’, ‘XBL’, ‘31-2-1’, ‘TXQ’ and ‘31-2-2’ had strong cold-resistance; ‘HLMQ’, ‘HQ’, ‘ZHQ’, control and ‘HXZ’ had weak cold-resistance; the other four resources had moderate cold-resistance. When suffered cold stress, the resources with strong cold-resistance had a larger increase of SOD, POD, CAT activities and a least increase of MDA content and EL. Among the strong cold-resistant resources, ‘29’, ‘30’, ‘31-2-1’, ‘TXQ’ and ‘31-2-2’ had purplish red fruits and significantly stronger cold-resistance than control, which were suitable for cultivation in south China. ‘32’ and ‘XBL’ with white fruits could be used as breeding materials.

Possibility of recovering fusarium wilt affected eggplants by Trichoderma

The efficacy of Trichoderma suspension on the recovery of fusarium wilt infected eggplant was studied at Bangladesh Agricultural University Farm during July 2014 to April 2015. Suspension of Trichoderma asperellum CP (IPM 33) (5.8×107 CFU ml-1) was applied to rhizosphere soils of eggplants @ 0, 20 and 40 ml plant-1. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melongenae was inoculated to flowering and fruiting stages of healthy plants by soil drenching method 48 hrs before and after application of Trichoderma suspension. Observations were made on the severity and recovering of wilting. The eggplant variety BAU Begun 1 was found resistant to fusarium wilt while other two varieties BAU Begun 2 and Dohazari G showed susceptible reaction. Pre-inoculation application of Trichoderma @ 40 ml plant-1 significantly reduced the severity of the disease. The vulnerability to fusarium wilt was higher at flowering stage of eggplant. Thus, the experimental results have opened up a possibility of using Trichoderma suspension over conventional farming inputs for sustainable and organic production of eggplant.Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 7 (1): 38-42, June, 2017

International research on vegetable improvement in East and Southern Africa: adoption, impact, and returns

AbstractThere is a lack of evidence for impact at scale of vegetable research and development, although the importance of vegetables for human nutrition and smallholder incomes is generally understood. We therefore study adoption and impact of improved tomato and African eggplant varieties developed through international agricultural research, released by national agricultural research and extension systems, and supplied to farmers by private seed companies in East and Southern Africa from 1990 to 2014. The study finds that in 2014, varieties developed by the World Vegetable Center accounted for 50% of tomato and 98% of African eggplant commercial seed production in East and Southern Africa. For Tanzania alone, investment in crop improvement generated economic gains of US$ 255 million for tomato and US$ 5 million for African eggplant up to 2014. The internal rate of return is 26% for tomato and 12% for African eggplant, though we project the latter to increase to 26% by 2024 as the variety was released only in 2007. These findings support the view that agricultural policy and investment reoriented towards contemporary nutritional challenges will give high returns to investment.

Bimodality of stable and plastic traits in plants.

We discovered an unexpected mode of bimodal distribution of stable and plastic traits, which was consistent for homologous traits of 32 varieties of seven species both in well-irrigated fields and dry conditions. We challenged archived genetic mapping data for 36 fruit, seed, flower and yield traits in tomato and found an unexpected bimodal distribution in one measure of trait variability, the mean coefficient of variation, with some traits being consistently more variable than others. To determine the degree of conservation of this distribution among higher plants, we compared 18 homologous phenotypes, including yield and seed production, across different crop species grown in a common 'crop garden' experiment. The set included 32 varieties of tomato, eggplant, pepper, melon, watermelon, sunflower and maize. Estimates of canalization were obtained using a 'canalization replication' experimental design that generated multiple estimates of the coefficient of variation of traits, as well as their reaction norms in optimal and water-stressed field plots. A common pattern of bimodal distribution of stable and plastic traits was observed for all the varieties and for a wild weed (Solanum nigrum). We propose that canalization profiles of traits in a variety of taxa were ancestrally selected to maximize adaptation and reproductive success.

English

The effects of solid matrix priming with strain T22 of Trichoderma harzianum on seed germination, seedling emergence and photosynthetic capacity in two eggplant varieties were evaluated. Seed were primed by mixing with vermiculite and the T. harzianum wettable powder (WP) suspension at a rate of 1:3:3.2 (fresh weigh basis, respectively) at 15°C for 7 days in the dark, then primed seed were dried. Solid matrix priming (SMP) with T. harzianum increased seed germination vigor, germination index and seedling emergence, decreased mean emergence time, enhanced seedlings quality and photosynthetic characteristics of eggplant. The result indicates that SMP with T. harzianum could serve as an effective way to improve seeds germination and seedling emergence and promote plant growth of eggplant. Key words: Solid matrix priming, Trichoderma harzianum, germination, seedling vigor, photosynthetic capacity, eggplant.

Short evaluation of eggplant production and variety usage in Romania – short overview and perspectives

Abstract Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) became wide-spread after the First World War in Romania. The most important growing areas of this plant are located in the southern, south-eastern, and south-western parts of Romania and are usually cultivated on open fields as well as in unheated greenhouses. In the past, only Romanian OP varieties were grown. Over the past ten years, requirements of eggplant varieties have increasingly shifted towards productivity, uniformity, and high tolerance to stress factors, diseases, and pests. Therefore, the cultivation of hybrids and the disappearance of Romanian OP cultivars have intensified. Due to monoculture practice, the soil was attacked by pathogens in many areas. As a result, grafting became necessary to be put into practice. Consumption of eggplants is about 4.5 kg per person per year in Romania and they are consumed in many different ways such as baked, grilled, or as a special cream. Agrosel SRL has gained a significant role in supplying the Romanian vegetable seed market over the past twenty years and has started its own hybrid programme to renew eggplant production in Romania.

Development of backcross generations and new interspecific hybrid combinations for introgression breeding in eggplant (Solanum melongena)

Introgression breeding can contribute to broadening the genetic background of eggplant (Solanum melongena). We used six eggplant varieties and 44 interspecific hybrids between these eggplant accessions and 10 accessions of wild relatives from the primary genepool species S. insanum and secondary genepool species S. anguivi, S. dasyphyllum, S. incanum, S. lichtensteinii, and S. tomentosum to obtain first backcross generations to S. melongena. Pollen viability in cultivated and wild parents and interspecific hybrids with S. insanum was high, while for interspecific hybrids with secondary genepool species it was variable. First backcross generations to S. melongena were obtained with interspecific hybrids of all the wild species, with the best results being obtained in crosses with hybrids between S. melongena and S. insanum. However, ample differences were observed among eggplant varieties in the success of the crosses. Additionally, the six eggplant varieties were crossed with secondary genepool species S. campylacanthum, S. lidii and S. vespertilio and with tertiary genepool species S. bonariense, S. elaeagnifolium and S. sisymbriifolium with the aim of obtaining new interspecific hybrids. Successful interspecific hybridization was achieved with the three new secondary genepool species tested and, using embryo rescue, with the tertiary genepool species S. elaeagnifolium. The new backcross generations and interspecific hybrids obtained will contribute to broadening the genetic background of the eggplant and to the genetic enhancement of this crop.

Optimization of Somatic Embryogenesis Protocol for Locally Adapted Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Varieties in Bangladesh

Five eggplant cultivars were cultured on MS supplemented with 0.5 mg/l 2,4?D, resulting in the development of embryogenic calli. When the calli were subcultured onto growth regulator free MS, BARI Begun?4 produced the highest number of embryos (64) per explant followed by BARI Begun?1 (57). Later both the superior varieties in terms of embryo production were cultured on MS having 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mg/l 2,4?D along with a control. BARI Begun?4 produced the highest number of embryos (67) on MS supplemented with 1.0 mg/l 2,4?D which was closely followed by BARI Begun?1 (62). Regenerated plantlets were successfully established in soil following acclimation.Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 26(1): 77-83, 2016 (June)

RAPD analysis of Sclerotium rolfsii isolates causing collar rot of eggplant and tomato

Eight isolates of Sclerotium rolfsii from four strategically geographical sites of Bangladesh were characterized and their cultural properties like average linear mycelial growth, colony colour, colony consistency, growth pattern and sclerotia formation were studied. Isolates varied in mycelial growth and other growth characteristics and were grouped into three. The highest linear growth was displayed by S8. DNA concentration of eight isolates varied from 1150-7200 ng/?l. DNA fingerprinting by RAPD prompted the grouping of isolates. Selected 3 primers generated 20 bands with size ranging from 100-1500 bp. Out of the 20 bands, 9 bands (45%) were polymorphic and 11 bands (55%) were monomorphic among the eight isolates of Sclerotium rolfsii. The co-efficient of gene differentiation (Gst) was 1.000 reflecting the existence of high level of genetic variations among the 8 isolates. The lowest genetic distance and highest inter isolate similarity was found in S1 and S2 which would be homogeneous. The highest genetic distance and lowest inter isolate similarity found in S3, S7 and S3, S8 pair which would be most divergent isolates. The cluster analysis also revealed that S3, S7 and S8 belong to different clusters. All five varieties of eggplant and tomatoes were graded as susceptible when inoculated with eight isolates. Plant mortality 93.33% was recorded in S4, S6 and in S8. Considering the isolate factor the most virulent isolate would be S8 whereas the less virulent isolate would be S2 and S7. Host plant of S8 was tomato collected from Thakurgaon. S2 and S7 were collected from BAU farm and Dinajpur and host plants were lentil and tomato respectively. It is evident that Sclerotium rolfsii from Thakurgaon on host tomato is more virulent.Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 6 (1): 47-57, June, 2016

A Spontaneous Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Color Mutant Conditions Anthocyanin-free Fruit Pigmentation

We identified a single plant in a grow out of the eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) variety ‘Black Beauty’ bearing green fruit. ‘Black Beauty’ normally produces violet/black pigmented fruit attributed to anthocyanin accumulation. We selected the green-fruited true-breeding genotype E13GB42 from the S2 generation obtained from selfing of the S0 green-fruited color mutant. Characterization of 12 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, eight fruit morphological attributes and fruit yield support E13GB42 arising as a spontaneous mutant of ‘Black Beauty’. With the exception of fruit calyx prickliness, E13GB42 was not significantly different from ‘Black Beauty’ for fruit morphological attributes and yield. E13GB42 exhibited an SSR marker profile identical to that of ‘Black Beauty’ but polymorphic with that of eight violet/black-fruited modern eggplant hybrids, older open-pollinated varieties and landraces. Transcript levels of key anthocyanin biosynthetic genes (Chs, Dfr, and Ans) and regulatory genes (MybC, Myc, and Wd) were significantly lower in the green-fruited E13GB42 mutant in comparison with the black-fruited variety ‘Black Beauty’ at various stages of fruit development ranging from small post-anthesis fruit to full-size marketable fruit. Progeny obtained from selfing of the original mutant and reciprocal crosses with ‘Black Beauty’ produced violet, green, and green with violet striped color classes that together were not compatible with one or two gene inheritance models, suggesting that the mutation responsible for the E13GB42 phenotype influences multiple genetic factors that control fruit pigmentation.

Evaluation of antioxidant activity and polyphenolic contents of two South Algerian eggplants cultivars

Polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in eggplants ( Solanum melongena L.) seem to depend on cultivar, maturity stage, environmental conditions and the part of the fruit. In this work, the polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity of pulp, whole fruit and peel from fresh dark-purple and white eggplant varieties cultivated in Southern Algeria were measured. Total phenolic content were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu test, and antioxidant activity measured using cyclic voltammetry. Correlations between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content were also examined. Within each cultivar, the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were highest in the peels, followed by the whole fruit and the pulp. In the peel, whole fruit and pulp the dark-purple eggplant had the highest total phenolic contents and the highest total antioxidant activities. Keywords: Solanum melongena L.; antioxidant capacity; total phenolic content; cyclic voltammetry

Leaf Morphological Characters Can Be a Factor for Intra-Varietal Preference of Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) among Eggplant Varieties.

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) MEAM1, is considered a serious pest of horticultural and many other crops. While eggplant (Solanum melongena) is one of the most favored host plants, the whiteflies exhibit preferences among different varieties. We hypothesized that certain morphological leaf characteristics of different varieties, like leaf trichome density, trichome length, leaf lamina thickness and leaf color, may affect whitefly landing, feeding and oviposition. In this study, we investigated the variation in leaf morphological characters among selected eggplant varieties and evaluated the effect of these leaf characteristics in rendering eggplant varieties either susceptible or resistant to B. tabaci. We evaluated eight eggplant varieties in choice feeding tests, and we found that the varieties JinSheng Zilongchangqie (JSZ) and H149 were the highly preferred varieties with the highest numbers of whitefly adults and eggs. Significantly lower numbers of whitefly adult eggs were found on the resistant variety Tuo Lu Bamu (TLB). The varieties JinGuangbo Luqie (JGL), JinGuangbo Ziquanqie (JGZ), DaYang Ziguanqie (DYZ), QinXing Ziguanqie (QXZ), and QinXing Niuxinqie (QXN) were moderately favored by B. tabaci. Leaf trichome density, trichome length and leaf lamina thickness were positively correlated with numbers of whitefly adults and eggs. B. tabaci was less attracted to the leaves that reflect long and middle wavelength light (higher R and G values) than to the bright green leaves (medium G value), but the short wavelength light (higher B value) had no significant effect on whitefly preference. The degree of hue had a positive effect, and saturation and brightness had a negative effect on whitefly attraction.

Effect of different substrates for organic agriculture in seedling development of traditional species of Solanaceae

Sowing of seedlings is one of the most critical processes on the establishment of a crop, since the future development of the plant depends largely on its health when is planted on the field. Moreover, organic agriculture has to deal with the low application of fertilizers and pesticides, which hinder the growth of seedlings. In this work, we studied the big influence of different mixtures of substrates suitable for organic agriculture based on peat, coconut husk and vermicompost in traditional varieties of tomato, pepper and eggplant. Our results indicate that the use of coconut husk based substrates in organic agriculture can reduce the growth of seedlings between 20 and 30% compared with peat-based substrates. Moreover, the plants growth in this substrate showed lower levels of chlorophyll and lower weight, but the results are strongly dependent on the species tested. Comparison between traditional plants demonstrates that traditional varieties are strongly influenced by the substrate, whereas the growth of a commercial variety of tomato barely differs when different substrates are used. The election of the substrate in organic agriculture is critical to the correct development of the plant, especially when traditional plant varieties are used.

Introgression of bacterial wilt resistance from Solanum melongena to S . t uberosum through asymmetric protoplast fusion

Bacterial wilt (BW) caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is an important disease of many plant species especially Solanaceae. To compensate for lack of BW resistance in cultivated potato, we fused UV-treated protoplasts of a resistant eggplant variety with protoplasts of a susceptible potato clone to obtain 32 somatic hybrids. Although asymmetric protoplast fusion has the potential to transfer traits from distant species, introgression frequency and preference of alien fragments remain obscure, as well as the genetic basis for control of a trait. In the present research, the genome components of 32 somatic hybrids were determined by parent-specific SSRs. Each hybrid had integrated from one to eight alien chromosome fragments, providing a foundation for selection of BW resistance transmitted from eggplant. When the selected eggplant sequences were aligned with potato genome sequence it showed a similarity of 46.7 %, suggesting a large genetic distance between these two species. The results also revealed that introgression of eggplant fragments is non-selective, which may allow any part of alien chromosomes to be integrated. Distribution of eggplant loci in individual hybrids suggested a possible relationship between markers emk03O04, emi04P17 and emd13E02a and BW resistance, which are potential loci that control target traits and therefore deserve further investigation. With genome-wide selection of parent-specific molecular markers and sequence alignment, the present research substantiated interspecific introgression of a trait lacking in potato. Moreover, an efficient strategy was established to estimate genomic components of the somatic hybrids, and to explore the candidate loci that associate with target traits.