Diallel analysis in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) for fruit yield, its attributes and bacterial wilt resistance

Abstract

A complete diallel cross study was carried out with six parents (Surya, L-3270, L-3263, R-2586, Arka Shirish and R-2583) and their F1 progeny, to determine heterotic patterns and combining ability for fruit yield, its attributes and bacterial wilt resistance. Considerable magnitude of heterosis was expressed in F1s for yield per plant character. The four hybrids viz., L-3270 X R-2586 (42.67%), L-3263 X L-3270 (30.91%), Arka Shirish X Surya (27.91%) and R-2583 X Surya (26.41%) qualify to be of commercial value as they manifested significant heterosis over resistant check (Arka Anand) for yield per plant with higher per se resistance to bacterial wilt. Combining ability analysis revealed that the majority of the characters were under the control of non-additive gene action as SCA variances were greater than GCA variances. It was evident from the research that additive variance (Va) was higher than dominance variance (Vd) in number of branches at 90 DAT, days to 50% flowering, fruit length, fruit diameter and number of fruits per plant which indicates preponderance of additivity in these characters, whereas in other thirteen cases dominance variance (Vd) was higher than additive variance (Va). Reciprocal cross differences were observed in most of the crosses with high SCA effects, so that the significance of reciprocal cross difference for all the characters exhibited the presence of a maternal effect.