Impact of Crossbreeding on the Growth and Yield Improvement of two Cultivars of S. aethiopicum L. found in Anambra State

The need for the adjustment of beneficial crop species for yield improvement and sustainability is paramount. Plant breeders employ the techniques of crossbreeding in the control of plant attributes and structure for man’s needs and other purposes. Due to the relevance of vegetables to our diet which S. aethiopicum is inclusive, two cultivars of Solanum aethiopicum found in Anambra State (S. aethiopicum var “Anara Adazi” and S. aethiopicum var “Anara”) were crossbred to produce a hybrid that may incorporate features from both parent cultivars to increase production and ensure sustainability. This was done manually using the artificial crossing. Data analysis was done using analysis of variance. Findings showed that the hybrid combined the features of the parental plants with other enhanced attributes. The F1 hybrid had the highest fresh fruit length and the highest number of fruits per plant when compared to the parental plants. This outcome might be the result of more branches, which would enable more fruits to be produced per plant and thus facilitate heterosis. Data obtained showed that a new hybrid with improved traits from both parent plants is created when two S. aethiopicum plants of distinct but closely related cultivars are crossbred. Therefore, in S. aethiopicum species, crossbreeding could be employed to increase yield and also in species breeding selection programs.