Analysis of gene action, combining ability and heterosis for fruit yield and yield components in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

Using a line x tester mating design involving seven lines, three testers and the resulting 21 hybrids, the combining ability, heterosis and nature of gene action governing fruit yield and its component traits in brinjal were evaluated. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among genotypes including parents and hybrids, for most of the traits, indicating sufficient genetic variability for the ten traits under study. According to the general combining ability impact and per se performance, the lines L4, L1, L7, L2 and the tester T3 were the best among the parents for most of the qualities under investigation. L2 × T3, L7 × T3, L4 × T3 and L6 × T3 are the hybrid crosses which exhibited high per se performance for fruit yield per plant. For traits like days to 50 % flowering, plant height, number of flowers per cluster, number of fruits per cluster, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight and fruit yield per plant, the combining abilityvariances showed that non-additive gene activity predominated. Therefore, heterosis breeding is a viable approach to exploit these traits. The high specific combining ability status of the hybrids indicated dominance and epistatic interaction. The hybrid L4 × T3 was promising among all the hybrids studied, followed by L7 × T3 which possessed desirable SCA (specific combining ability). Based on per se performance, SCA effect and standard heterosis the hybrid L4 × T3 and L7 × T3 can be recommended for hybrid breeding. It may be possible to simultaneously exploit the type of gene activities for improving fruit yield and its qualities in brinjal by using heterosis breeding, recurrent selection, or biparental mating followed by pedigree selection.