Combining ability and gene action for fruit yield and its attributes in brinjal (Solanum Melongena L.)

Gentic studies for  fruit yield per plant and its attributing traits in brinjal was conducted by following line x tester mating design comprising of seven lines and four testers at Instructional Farm, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, Gujarat. The analysis of combining ability revealed the predominant role of both additive and non-additive gene effects in the inheritance of fruit yield and its component traits. The genotypes NSR-1, JBG-10-208 and Pant Rituraj displayed high gca effect for fruit yield per plant and some desirable traits like days to 50 % flowering, days to first picking, fruit girth, fruit weight, numbers of primary branches per plant, plant spread and total soluble solids. The estimates of sca effect of the crosses indicated that five hybrids manifested significant and positive sca effect for fruit yield per plant. The crosses JBG-10-208 x GJB-2, ABR-2-23 x GBL-1 and AB-09-1 x GOB-1 were emerged as best specific combinations. The cross JBG-10-208 x GJB-2 was also found good specific combiner for plant height, fruit weight, fruit girth and number of primary branches per plant and also showed maximum per se performance. These hybrids may be exploited for obtaining transgressive segregants toward developing hybrid varieties in brinjal.