Combining ability of brinjal [Solanum melongena L.] for fruit yield and its components characters

Abstract

The experimental material comprised of six lines, four testers of brinjal, their 24 hybrids developed by line × tester design and one standard check hybrid (GJBH-4). They were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications at Vegetable Research Station, J.A.U., Junagadh during rabi 2025 for studies of combining ability of brinjal. The analysis of variance for combining ability showed that the mean squares from lines were significant for all traits except days to first picking and number of pickings. The mean square from testers was significant for all traits except number of primary branches per plant. This suggests that both female and male parents contributed significantly to the overall variation. The mean squares from the interaction between lines and testers were significant for all traits except days to first picking. The ratio of genetic and specific combining ability variances indicated that non-additive components were more important for the expression of all traits except days to first picking and plant height. No parent was found to be a good general combiner for all traits studied. Among the parents, two female parents, JBL-19-02 and PLR-1, and one male parent, GRB-7, were found to be good general combiners for total fruit yield per plant. The cross PLR-1 × Swarnamani Black showed the highest positive specific combining ability effect for total fruit yield per plant, followed by JBO-21-10 × GJLB-4.