INFLUENCE OF FLOWER TYPES ON FRUIT SETTING AND YIELD DYNAMICS OF SUMMER BRINJAL (Solanum melongena L.)

Abstract

The present study was conducted during May to November 2013 at the research field of Olericulture Division, Horticulture Research Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur to study the relationship among fruit setting and flower types and yield potentials of brinjal under summer condition. Twelve genotypes and two varieties of brinjal viz. SM 011, SM 021, SM 58-1, SM 58-2, SM 200, SM 203, SM 204, SM 206, SM 211, SM 235, SM 236, EGN 10, BARI Begun-4 and BARI Begun-5 were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. A marked variation was observed among the studied genotypes regarding plant height, flowering, fruit and yield attributes. The genotype SM 200 produced the highest plant height at final harvest (184.33 cm) with erect plant type and the lowest plant height (106.33 cm) was produced by SM 203 with prostrate plant type. The 50% plant flowering was earlier in genotype SM 011 (48.32 days) and late flowering was observed in SM 236 (58.10 days). The lowest number of clusters per plant (13.78) and highest number of flowers per cluster (6.31) was recorded from the genotype SM 011. The total flower buds per plant was recorded highest in SM 58-1 and SM 58-2 (127.62) and the lowest from SM 021 (37.31). The highest number and percentage of long styled flowers per plant counted from the genotype SM 58-1 (82.13 and 64.35% respectively). The highest number of medium styled flower per plant was counted from BARI Begun-4 (27.48) but highest percentage of medium styled flower was counted from the genotype SM 200 (34.15%). BARI Begun-4 and SM 211 had the highest fruit setting percentage 75.17% and 72.56%, respectively. The lowest fruit setting percentage was recorded from the genotype SM 235 (30.27%). The highest yield loss per plant due to pest attacked was obtained from genotype SM 58-2 (304.00 g) and the lowest from the genotype SM 011 (100.17 g). BARI Begun-4 produced the maximum number of edible fruits per plant (32.13) and BARI Begun-5 produced the minimum number of edible fruits per plant (8.10). The yield per plant was found the highest in BARI Begun-4 (2.62 kg) and the lowest in SM 011(0.92 kg). The highest individual fruit weight (304.00 g) was obtained in EGN 10 and the lowest was 55.10 g in SM 011. The correlation matrix exhibited that fruit yield per plant was positively correlated with number of fruits per plant (r=0.554*), total number of flowers per plant (r=0.095), number of long styled flower (r=0.167), number of medium styled flower (r=0.50), fruit setting percentage (r=0.442) and individual fruit weight (r=0.335). Number of fruits per plant recorded significant positive correlation with number of medium styled flower (r=0.692**), number of long styled flower (0.582*) and total number of flowers per plant (r=0.577*).