Inheritance of fruit colour in normal and irradiated progenies of brinjal

Abstract

The inheritance of fruit colour in brinja! (Solarium metongena) was studied by analysing the progeny belonging to the F, M2, FjM^ and F3M generations resulting from a cross between varieties insanum and purple giant followed by gamma irradiation. The F0 phenotypic frequencies fitted very well with the dihybrid ratio indicating that the fruit colour is governed by two independently inherited genes. Three colour mutants, namely, purple, mottled green and white were induced in the F]MI generation by the irradiation. The appearance of these mutants is explained as due to independent mutations at either or both of the two genetic loci. The colour pattern in the F3M., progenies derived from the F, Mj mutants substantiates the two gene mechanism for the inheritance of fruit colour. The genotypes for the different colour types in the FL, F, and FlMl mutants have been indicated and discussed.