Economic heterosis in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

The present investigation was carried out at Vegetable Research Centre, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand in RBD with four replications during kharif seasons of 2012 and 2013. Nine brinjal F₁ hybrids were evaluated under this investigation to know the per se performance and to estimate the magnitude of economic heterosis (over two standard checks Pant Rituraj and Pant Samrat) for yield and yield attributing characters. For fruit yield per hectare, the F₁ hybrid Pusa Abhinav x DBL02 showed highest economic heterosis (120.16% over Pant Rituraj and 29.22% over Pant Samrat) followed by PB-71 x BB-85 (110.71% over Pant Rituraj and 23.67% over Pant Samrat). The results indicated that Pusa Abhinav x DBL-02, PB-71 x BB-85 and BARI x Pant Rituraj could be exploited as commercial F1 hybrids as they exhibited high economic heterosis over standard parents.