Combining ability in eight eggplant genotypes were studied at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Gazipur, Bangladesh during March 2007 to September 2008. Eggplant genotypes were crossed and evaluated for different plant and flower characters. Considering general combining ability (GCA) effects, the parents P3, P4 and P7 were the good general combiner for promoting early flowering and fruiting and P3, P4 and P6 for plant height and canopy. Considering specific combining ability (SCA) effects, the cross P1×P6, P1×P4, P1×P8 and P1×P7 were important for early flowering and fruiting; P3×P8 for plant height and canopy and P5×P7 for plant canopy. Therefore, for the improvement of flowering and plant characters the parents P3, P4, and P7 and the crosses P1×P6, P1×P4, P1×P8 and P1×P7 could be selected for summer cultivation in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Combining ability, eggplant, flower character, summer

Combining ability in eight eggplant genotypes were crossed and studied at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Gazipur, Bangladesh during March 2007 to September 2008. Eggplant genotypes were crossed and evaluated for yield and yield contributing characters. Considering general combining ability (GCA) effects, the parents P1, P2 and P6 were better general combiner for number of fruits plant-1 and yield plant-1; P3, P5 and P8 for fruit weight; P4 for fruit length and P3 and P8 for fruit breadth and P1, P6, P2 and P7 for yield plant-1. Considering specific combining ability (SCA) effects, the crosses P5×P7 were important for fruit length, fruit weight, number of fruits and yield plant-1; P5 ×P8 for fruit breadth, fruit weight, and yield plant-1; P1×P6 and P2×P7 for fruit breadth, number of fruit and yield plant-1; P1×P6, P2×P7, P4×P7 and P5˟ P7 for number of fruits and yield plant-1. Therefore, the parents P1, P6, P2 and P3, P5 and P8 could be considered as better parents for higher yield and the crosses P1×P6, P5×P7, P2×P7, P2×P4, P4×P7, P4×P8, P3×P8 and P5×P8 could be considered as promising hybrids for getting higher yield for summer cultivation in Bangladesh.

Keywords: combining ability, eggplant, yield, summer