Genetic Diversity Studies of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Genotypes

Abstract

Twenty-two genotypes of eggplant were evaluated to assess the genetic diversity within the genotypes at Horticulture Research Centre (HRC) field, Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Jamalpur, Bangladesh during the winter season of 2013-2014. Genetic diversity among 22 eggplant genotypes was estimated using Mahalanobis’s D² statistic. Altogether five clusters were formed. Cluster II enclosed the highest number of genotypes (6) and cluster IV contained the lowest (1). The inter-cluster distance between I and IV was the highest (26.55) followed by IV-V (25.81), III-IV (24.37) and II-IV (22.52). Cluster distance between clusters I-IV, IV-V, III-IV, and II-IV were moderate or intermediate. To select cluster for more heterotic genotypes four pairs of clusters I-IV, IV-V, III-IV, and II-IV could be considered. So, hybridization between the genotypes of cluster I, II, III, IV, and V will manifest maximum heterosis and create wide genetic variability for economic characters in eggplant. Considering cluster distance and cluster mean, the genotypes T₁, T₄, T₉, T₁₅ and T₁₉ from cluster I, genotypes T₁₀ from cluster II, genotypes T₃ and  T₁₄ from cluster III, genotypes T₅ from cluster IV and  T₇, T₁₁, T₁₆, T₁₈ and T₂₀ from cluster V may be considered as parents for future hybridization program. The genotypic correlation coefficient was similar in nature and higher in magnitude than the corresponding phenotypic correlation coefficient for most of the traits. Total fruit yield per plant had exhibited a highly significant and positive association with harvest duration, the number of fruits per plant & fruit yield per hectare and total fruit yield per plant is significantly but negatively correlated with infested fruits. High magnitude of positive direct effect on fruit yield was exerted by the weight of fruits per plant (1.0308) followed by fruit breadth (0.0352), fruit length (0.0299) and the negative direct effects on total yield were showed by the number of fruit per plant (-0.0291), single fruit weight (-0.0277), plant height at harvest (-0.0048) and bacterial wilting (-0.0156) but were substantially low. The traits identified above as important direct and indirect yield components importance due consideration in formulating selection strategy in eggplant for selection of high yielding varieties.

Keywords: Brinjal, genetic diversity, genotypes, D² statistics, multivariate analysis, cluster analysis, Genotypic & phenotypic correlation coefficient, path coefficient, growth, and yield.

Cite this Article

A. Akter, H. Rahman. Genetic Diversity Studies of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Genotypes. Research & Reviews: Journal of Botany. 2019; 8(1): 42–57p.