Heterosis for fruit yield and its yield attributing traits in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

As heterosis is widely utilized for the selection of superior cross combinations with this study was conducted in brinjal to estimate the magnitude of heterosis for fruit yield and yield attributing characters. The 24 F1 generated by Line x Tester fashion along with 10 Parents (6 Females and 4 Males) and 2 checks (Kashi Taru and Phule Arjun) were evaluated in randomized block design. The experiment was carried out during kharif 2018 at experimental farm of Department of Agricultural Botany, VNMKV, Parbhani. Appreciable heterosis was found over mid, better and standard parent for all the traits studied in desirable direction. For the traits like Days to 50% flowering and Days to first picking negative heterosis is desirable for this the cross combination DBR-8 x JKGEH-6012 exhibited highest significant heterosis over mid parent (-12.10%) and better parent (-17.79%). For the yield attributing characters viz., Fruit length (DBR-8 x DMU-1), Fruit girth (NBJ-19 x DMU-1), Fruit weight (DBR-8 x JB- 18). For the trait fruit yield per plant The maximum positive and significant heterosis over mid parent (75.50) over the better parent (67.76%), over Check-1 (50.68%) and Check-2 (66.49%) observed in the cross JB-9 x JKGEH-6012. The heterosis for fruit yield was ranged from (- 19.51 to 75.50) mid- parent, (-28.94 to 67.76) over better parents, (-32.19 to 50.68), (-25.08 to 66.49) and standard checks respectively.