Genetic studies on triple test cross progenies for horticultural traits involving bacterial wilt resistant genotypes of brinjal Solanum melongena L

Abstract

newlineBrinjal (Solanum melongena L.) also known as egg plant or aubergine belong to family Solanaceae and one of the most commonly grown vegetable throughout the country. India is considered to be the centre of origin with secondary diversity in China and South East Asia. It is grown commercially as fresh market crop especially in low and mid hill areas of Himachal Pradesh. Inspite of its economic importance, no major strive has so far been made for the improvement of yield and quality traits in this crop. Based on these considerations, the present investigation was, therefore, undertaken to obtain information on the relative magnitude of additive, dominance and epistatic component of genetic variance and average degree of dominance as inferred from the analysis of different traits such as marketable fruit yield per plant, days to 50% flowering, days to first picking, number of marketable fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter, plant height, number of branches per plant, fruit weight, pedicel length, total soluble solids, dry matter content, iron content, phenol content and bacterial wilt incidence by following a triple test cross mating design analysis involving contrasting parents/inbred lines. The experimental material consisted of thirty triple test cross (TTC) progenies of a) SP and H-8, b) AK and BN, c) AN and SN, d) PPC and DPBBWR-2 (Sel-2) developed through the triple test cross mating design proposed by Kearsey and Jink (1968) during Kharif, season 2014. The triple test cross (TTC) progenies of the respective parents were then planted and evaluated along with corresponding original parents/testers (L1 and L2), F1and#8223;s (L3) and F2and#8223;s (Pi lines) in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications at the Experimental Farm, Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, CSKHPKV, Palampur (H.P.) during kharif, 2015. Good quantum of genetic variability has been generated through triple test cross progenies with respect to different traits studied as revealed by the significant analysis of