Exploitation of heterosis for fruit yield and its attributing traits in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

A study was undertaken to estimate the magnitude of heterosis for fruit yield and yield contributing components in brinjal using twenty-eight brinjal hybrids obtained from half-diallel of eight elite genotypes were evaluated along with their parents and standard check GJBH-4 during Late kharif 2022-23 (E1), Rabi 2022-23 (E2) and Early Rabi 2023-24 (E3) at the Instructional Farm, Jambuvadi, College of Horticulture, J.A.U, Junagadh. Appreciable magnitude of heterosis was observed for heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis for number of primary branches, fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), fruit weight (g), number of fruits per plant and fruit yield per plant (kg) studied in desirable direction. Among all the 28 crosses, thirteen and nine crosses manifested significant and positive heterobeltiosis in E2 and E3, respectively. The top most heterobeltiosis was exhibited by JBR-20-01 x JBR-20-11 (22.78%) in E1; JBR-21-14 x JBL-21-09 (67.70%) in E2 and JBL-21-12 x JBL-21-09 (65.10%) in E3. The significant and positive standard heterosis for fruit yield per plant was recorded in eight and four crosses in E2 and E3, respectively. The highest economic heterosis was exhibited up to 4.37% by cross JBL-21-12 x JBL-21-10 in E1; 56.02% by cross JBL-21-09 x JBL-21-10 in E2; and 54.15% by cross JBL-21-09 x JBL-21-10 in E3. The present study reveals good scope for isolation of pure lines from the progenies of segregating materials as well as commercial exploitation of heterosis in brinjal.