Heterosis for Fruit Yield and its Component Traits in Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

A study was conducted in brinjal to estimate the magnitude of heterosis for yield and its components. 28 F₁ hybrids generated by line x tester mating design using diverse seven lines and four testers and these 28 F₁s along with 11 parents were evaluated in a randomized block design with three replication at Instructional Farm of Main College of Agriculture at Junagadh, Gujarat (India). Appreciable heterosis was found over better andstandard parent for all the traits studied in desirable direction. In order of merit, the highest heteroeltiosis was recorded by cross NSR-1 x Pant Rituraj (155.70%) followed by JB-12-06 x Pant Rituraj (107.67%), JB-12-06 x GOB-1 (79.44%), NSR-1 x GOB-1 (74.27%) and ABR-2-23 x Pant Rituraj (62.43%) for fruit yield per plant. While, highest the standard heterosis ranged from-21.94 to 22.98% for fruit yield per plant, the cross JBG10–208 x GJB-2 (22.98%) recorded the highest standard heterosis for fruit yield per plant followed by NSR-1 x Pant Rituraj (20.70%), NSR-1 x GBL-1 (16.63%), ABR-2-23 x GBL-1 (14.29%) and JBG10–208 x GOB-1 (12.45%). The cross JBG-10-208 x GJB-2 also recorded significant standard heterosis for fruit length, fruit girth, fruit weight and total soluble solids. The present study reveals good scope for isolation of pure lines from the progenies of heterotic F₁s as well as commercial exploitation of heterosis in brinjal.