Identification of donor lines for improving fruit yield of k 35 x k 12 eggplant hybrid

The aim of this study was to identify an eggplant donor line which possess the largest frequency of favourable alleles that control fruit yield. Such donor line should be used to improve the elite eggplant hybride K35 x K12. The fruit yield of the elite hybrid, its parents and their hybrids with three potential donor lines (K36/1, K11 and K22/2) was examined in a diallel set by means of field trials. The trials were set in a randomized block design in three replications. After the fruit yield had been measured, the modified method of evaluation of relative loci value according to Dudley (1987) was applied. Ali inbred lines expressed positive values of the μG' parameter. The K11 inbred had the largest μG' value (2.38) and, also, the lowest frequency of unfavourable alleles on the loci class D (1.33). It was established that the K11 inbred line was more related to the K35 parental inbred line (7.81). Consequently, on the basis of the μD' values, improvement should be obtained by backcrossing the elite hybrid K35 x K11 to the donor inbred K11.