Division of Vegetable Crops, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
The interspecific crosses of S. melongena were made and hybrid seeds of Pusa Kranti × S. incanum, Pusa Kranti × S. indicum, Pusa Kranti × S. gilo, Annamalai × S. gilo and Aushey × S. gilo were produced. These hybrids and parental lines were screened for shoot and fruit borer infestation under natural field condition. All the 3 related species and interspecific hybrids were found resistant to this pest, whereas Aushey and P*usa Kranti were susceptible. The pollen fertility of all hybrids were less than their respective parents. The frequency of univalents were found to be 16.73, 22.60 and 14.40 in Pusa Kranti × S. gilo, Annamalai × S. gilo and Aushey × S. gilo, respectively. Maximum univalent coupled with high degree of sterility of these hybrids indicated high degree of dissimilarities of parental chromosomes. Low frequency of chiasmata further revealed lack of homology between two genomes. All the hybrids of S. melogena × S. gilo produced small parthenocarpic fruits which may be due to diplontic sterility.
