STUDIES ON HETEROSIS AND COMBINING ABILITY IN LATE SUMMER BRINJAL*

Hybrid vigour and combining ability of 45 brinjal hybrids was studied for yield, yield components
and quality characters during late summer season. Fruit yield per plant had recorded high heterobeltiosis
to an extent of 114.43 per cent and standard heterosis of 38.77 per cent. High heterobeltiosis and
standard heterosis (>60 per cent) were also noticed for the quality traits, namely, total soluble sugars
and total phenols. Further, the combining ability analysis revealed pre-ponderant non-additive gene
action for all the traits studied. A perusal of the gca effects revealed KS 224, PLR 1, Morvi 4-2 and
JBPR 1 to be good general combiners for fruit yield per plant. In addition, KS 224 was observed to be
a good combiner for total phenols; while PLR 1 and Morvi 4-2 were noticed to be good combiners for
total soluble sugars. Among the hybrids, 22 crosses had exhibited significant and desirable sca effects
for fruit yield per plant. Of these, six crosses had recorded desirable sca effects in addition to
significantly high heterosis for the trait. An analysis of these crosses revealed the involvement of
either both good or one good and one poor general combiner parent. The hybrid, KS 224 x PLR 1,
involving both good combiner parents had recorded maximum fruit yield, in addition to desirable
heterosis and sca effects for the trait, while the hybrids, KS 224 x AB 98-10 and PLR 1 x Morvi 4-2 had
recorded significant and desirable heterosis, sca and per se effects for the quality traits, in addition to
high fruit yield per plant and hence, these hybrids hold potential for commercial exploitation during
late summer season.