1Project Coordinating Unit (Linseed), C.S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur-208 002 (Uttar Pradesh), India
Department of Vegetable Science, C.S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur-208 002, Uttar Pradesh, India
*Email of corresponding author: pk_singh65@yahoo.com
Online published on 13 October, 2015.
Experiment comprised of ten varieties and their 45 F1sof brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) derived through mating in diallel fashion were evaluated in randomized block design at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.Thegeneral combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) variances exhibited highly significant differences for all the characters. The magnitude of GCA variance was lower than the SCA for all characters except number of branches and width of leaf suggesting the predominance of non-additive gene action in the inheritance of these traits. Brinjalvariety ‘Azad B-1’ showed desirable and significant GCA effect for fruit yield, weight of fruit, width of fruit, width of leaf, length of leaf and plant height, followed by variety ‘Type-3’ which exhibited desirable GCA effect for four characters. Three best cross combinations Type-3 x DVR-8, DVR-8 x KS-331 and Azad B-1 x KS-331 were identified as promising ones for yield and majority of its related traits. The desirable crosses were derived from high x high, high x low and low x low combinations of general combiners. Considering the degree of heterosis recorded for yield of fruits plant−1 over economic parent, three crosses, viz. Type-3 x DVR-8, Type-3 x KS-235, Azad B-1 x KS-224, were found promising and can be exploited for hybrid breeding in brinjal.
Brinjal, Combining ability, Fruit yield, Solanum melongena, Traits
