Collecting diversity in eggplant germplasm from north - central India

Three explorations were undertaken in north-central parts of India covering 39 districts in Uttar Pradesh, 14 in Bihar, 7 in Madhya Predesh and 4 in Maharashtra during 1990 and 1991 for the collection of eggplant diversity including its wild relatives. A total of 486 accessions, comprising cultivated eggplant (Solanum melongena L) (451) and related wild species viz., S. violaceum Ortega (12), S. surattense Burm. (5), S. nigrum L (4), S. viarum Dunal (5), S. torvum Sw (5), S. sisymbrifolium Lam (1), S. gigantium Jacq. (1); S. memmosum Lind. (1) and S. hispidum Pers (1) were collected. A wide range of diversity in agrobotanical and morphological characters was observed in S. melongena and S. violaceum. A good number of landraces/primitive cultivars developed as a result of continuous selection by the farmers in different belts were also sampled. Most notable donor genotypes include Bundelkhand Desl for drought tolerance, Ramnagarawa for large size fruits, Jethuwa baingan for growing in hot summer and Kuchbachia balngan for early bearing and hot summer crop.