Inter-specific crosses between eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) with related Solanum species

The exotic species of cultivated Solanum melongena viz., Solanum indicum, Solanum gilo and Solanum incanum are highly resistant to shoot and fruit borer, the most destructive pest of eggplant in India and other tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world. In the present study inter-specific crosses were made involving five Solanum species. The degree of crossability relationship of eggplant with other related species was determined by fruit set, number of seedlings grown, percentage of F-1 plants with seeded fruit and without seeded fruit. The results revealed that S. indicum when used as a pollen parent was crossable with S. incanum and S. melongena but the reciprocal crosses (S. indicum x S. melongena) was not successful where F-1 seedlings died after 10-15 days of germination. Similarly, when S. gilo was used as a pollen parent crossed with different cultivars of S. melongena and Solanum anomalum (female parent) crossed by S. melongena cv. Pusa Kranti, produced viable seeds but the hybrid plants were observed to bear small parthenocarpic fruits in clusters. The variation in the results of the present study on crossability behaviour leads to the conclusion that broader selections of the parent from each of the species will be tried for getting compatible crossability. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V All rights reserved.