MSc

A study was carried out to characterize the landraces of brinjal Solanum
melongena L. in Kerala at the Department of Olericulture, College of
Agriculture, Vellayani. The collections were evaluated for morphology, yield,
yield attributes and reactions to various biotic stresses viz, fruit and shoot-
borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guen.), bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum
Yabuuchi), phomopsis blight (Phomopsis vexans (Sacc. & Syd.) Hartat) and
-little leaf (Mycoplasma). The genetic parameters, correlation and path
coefficients were studied and a selection index was formulated to identify
superior genotypes.
landraces showed significant difference for all the characters except
stomatal distribution and branch and node of flowering. S 33 collected from
Adoor (Pathanamthitta) was the top yielder.
S. macranthum Dun., S. melongena var. insanum and S. xanthocarpum
were highly resistant against shoot and fruit borer. Landraces, viz., S 1
(Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram), S 13 (Athichanallore, Kollam), S 28
(Thamarakulam, Alappuzha, S 35 (Poonjar, Kottayam), S 36 (Eara, Kottayam)
and (S 37 (Manarkadu, Kottayam) were found with high resistance.
Collections, viz., S 15 from Kundara (Kollam), S 22 from Thiruvakkal
(Alappuzha), S 23 from Cherthala (Alappuzha), S 32 and S 33 from Adoor
(Pathanamthitta), S 47 from Irinjalakuda (Thrissur) and S 55 from Ozhur






(Malappuram) were resistant to bacterial wilt coupled with high yield and yield
attributes.
Resistance to phomopsis blight was noted in wild/semi-wild species,
viz., S. macranthum, S. melongena var. insanum and S. xanthocarpum and in
cultivated types, viz., S 1 (Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram), S 13
(Kundara, Kollam), S 15 (Athichanallore, Kollam), S 17 (Odanavattom,
Kollam), S 23 (Cherthala, Alappuzha), S 32 and S 33 (Adoor, Pathanamthitta),
S 34 and S 35 (Poonjar, Kottayam) S 36 (Eara, Kottayam), S 45
(Muvattupuzha, Ernakulam), S 46 (lrinjalakkuda, Thrissur), S 53 (Walayar,
Palakkad), S 55 (Ozhur, Malappuram) and S 60 (Ambalawayal, Wynad).
Incidence of little leaf disease was seen only in S 10, a landrace from
N edumangad (Thiruvananthapuram).
Multiple resistance to all the major biotic stresses was noted in
S. melongena var. insanum and S. xanthocarpum and in landraces, viz., S 1
(Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram), S 13 (Athichanallore, Kollam) and S 36
(Eara, Kottayam).
The landraces were described using the simplified descriptor for
eggplant provided by the IBPGR, Rome.
GCV and PCV were highest for fruits per plant followed by fruit length,
petiole length, seed weight, fruit breadth and yield. High heritability coupled
with high genetic advance was noted for fruits per plant, fruit length, petiole
length, fruit breadth, seed weight, yield, leaf area index, branches per plant,


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dry weight and fruit weight indicating scope for the improvement through
selection.
Plant height, stem girth, branches per plant, canopy spread, dry weight,
leaf area index, leaf thickness, vascular bundles, fruits per plant, fruit length,
fruit weight, harvest index and organoleptic quality had high positive
correlations with yield whereas days to flower and fruit breadth had a negative
correlation. Path analysis revealed plant height, fruits per plant, stem girth and
harvest index as primary contributors to yield.
Fruit borer incidence showed a positive correlation with fruit breadth
and a negative correlation with fruits per plant whereas, phomopsis blight
incidence showed a significant negative association with plant height.
A selection index was constructed based on the yield per plant and nine
yield contributing characters. The landraces S 33 from Adoor (Pathanamthitta),
S 22 from Thiruvakkal (Alappuzha), S 23 from Cherthala (Alappuzha), S 47
from Irinjalakkuda (Thrissur), S 25 from Thathampally (Alappuzha), S 55 from
Ozhur (Malappuram), S 15 from Kundara (Kollam), S 42 from Thodupuzha
(Idukki), S 32 from Adoor (Pathanamthitta) and S 52 from Nilambur
(Malappuram) were identified as elite in terms of yield and field resistance
against various biotic stresses.