Studies on genetic variability and identification of selection indices in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

Abstract

Significant variability is available in the land races and popular cultivars of brinjal. They have several matchless characteristics of plant breeding significance with sufficient scope for added improvement to outfit the traditional growing conditions. The genotypes under study showed significant variation for nine quantitative traits. Three genotypes namely, BCB-40, White Jhuri Begun, and 10/BRBW RES-3 appeared as most promising in the Gangetic plains of West Bengal. Close estimates between GCV and PCV values indicated lesser influence of environmental factors on the expression of traits under study. The proportion of genetic contribution to the overall phenotypic expression of most of the studied traits was very high, suggesting their use as important discriminatory variables for brinjal classification. In this investigation, high GCV coupled with high broad sense heritability and genetic advance was observed in all the characters except days to 1st flowering and days to 50% flowering indicating predominant control of additive genes, and these traits could be improved upon by selection without progeny testing. The characters number of fruits/plant and plant height exhibited significantly positive phenotypic correlation with fruit yield/plant. However, number of fruits/plant and fruit weight showed highly positive direct effects on fruit yield/plant. Therefore, direct selection of number of fruits/plant and fruit weight could be beneficial for augmenting yield while formulating selection indices in the improvement of brinjal.