Study of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for yield and yield related components of brinjal [Solanum melongena (L.)] genotypes

To investigate the genetic variability among 35 genotypes of brinjal, the experiment was laid out at SKL Telangana State Horticultural University, Hyderabad during Rabi 2017-18. The study revealed significant differences among all studied traits. Highly significant differences were observed among all the genotypes and characters under study indicating the presence of sufficient amount of variability in all the characters. PCV estimates were higher than their corresponding GCV for all characters studied. PCV and GCV were high for fruit weight (26.2,22.2%), fruit length (22.7, 20.8%), no. of fruit per cluster (21.3, 17.1%), fruit yield per plant (20.7, 18.9%),shoot and fruit borer infestation (18.4, 16.1%), total phenol content (18.3, 13.1%), whereas, plant height, no. of branches per plant, days to first flowering, days to 50 percent flowering, no. of flower cluster per plant, no. of flower per cluster, no. of fruits per plant, days to first harvest, days to last harvest and ascorbic acid content showed moderate PCV and GCV. The heritability estimates were high for all the characters. Expected genetic advance was observed to be high for fruit length (50.5%), fruits weight (49.5%), fruit yield per plant (45.7%), no. of fruits per plant (37.1%), shoot and fruit borer (36.9%), no. of fruits per cluster (36.3%), whereas moderate for fruit width, ascorbic acid content and no. of flower cluster per plant. Therefore, studied characters may be included in assortment criterion for improvement in fruit yield per plant and yield contributing traits.