Study of heterosis, combining ability and gene action in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) landraces of Odisha

Twenty one F₁ crosses resulting from half diallel mating of seven diverse local landraces of brinjal were studied to know the magnitude of heterosis. The results revealed that, among the 21 crosses, BBSR-08-2 × Selection from BBSR-145- 1, BBSR-08-2 × BBSR-10-25 and BBSR-08-2 × BBSR-10-26 exhibited significantly positive heterosis for vegetative growth, fruit yield and fruit yield attributing traits over mid parent, better parent and standard check. The combining ability analysis revealed that, the parents viz. BBSR-08-2, BBSR-10-26 and BBSR-195-3 were good general combiners for plant height, primary branches plant^-1, fruit length, fruit girth, average fruit weight, number of fruits plants^-1, incidence of bacterial wilt (%) at 90 DAT and fruit yield plant^-1. The estimate of sca effect indicated that F₁ crosses viz. BBSR-08-2 × BBSR-10-25, BBSR-08-2 × BBSR-10-26, BBSR-08-2 × Selection from BBSR-145-1 and BBSR-10-26 × BBSR-195- 3 were most promising for vegetative traits, fruit yield attributes, reaction to incidence of bacterial wilt at 90 DAT and fruit yield plant^-1. Analysis of gene action revealed prevalence of both additive and non additive gene action for yield and its contributing traits. Thus, it may be concluded that, crosses involving parents viz. BBSR-08-2, BBSR-10-26 and BBSR-195-3 exhibited higher heterosis for fruit yield and tolerance to bacterial wilt.