Comparative Studies on Fertility Traits of CMS Eggplants ( <i>Solanum melongena</i> L.) Using Cytoplasms from Five Wild <i>Solanum</i> Species

Five cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines of eggplant “Uttara” ( Solanum melongena L.) with the cytoplasms of S. kurzii (KUR), S. violaceum (VIO), S. aethiopicum (AET), S. anguivi (ANG), and S. grandifolium (GRA) and three restorers of fertility (RF) lines of CMS from AET, ANG, and GRA were compared for the fertility traits to determine which CMS are effective as seed parents of F 1 hybrids and/or as seedless cultivars of eggplant. The CMS lines of KUR and VIO showed functional male sterility and AET, ANG, and GRA showed pollen nonformation type sterility. While the RF lines of CMS from AET, ANG, and GRA showed a normal release of pollen grains. The CMS lines KUR, VIO, and all RF lines exhibited significantly lower pollen staining with acetocarmine and pollen germination rates on artificial media compared to “Uttara.” The number of seeds per fruit of CMS and RF lines of ANG was significantly lower than “Uttara,” while those of other CMS and RF lines were not. The lines of CMS KUR, VIO, AET, and GRA produced relatively good fruit sets and high seed numbers similar to “Uttara.” This indicates their strong potential as seed parents for F 1 hybrids and seedless eggplant cultivars.