Department of Agricultural Botany Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai 625 104.
Fifty one brinjal accessions of diverse origin were studied for genetic variability for eight floral characters. In three of the accessions, more than six anthers were observed. High genotypic coefficient of variation was observed for style length and pedical length. Moderate heritability coupled with moderate genetic advance observed for the traits, filament length, pedical length, corolla breadth, number of anthers and breadth of anthers revealed non-fixable gene effects. The accessions ACM 16 (anther length), ACM 1 (filament length) and ACM 61 (number of anthers and ovary length) show promise and may be involved in breeding programme to facilitiate high outcrossing and exploitation of heterosis in brinjal.
