Combining ability and gene action studies for different horticultural traits in pink brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

Pink brinjal ( Solanum melongena L.) is a highly preferred and extensively cultivated vegetable crop in Jammu and Kashmir, yet its genetic improvement has been constrained by the limited availability of high-yielding cultivars and the paucity of genetic information for parental selection. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of combining ability and gene action in elite pink brinjal germplasm, generating a strategic framework for hybrid breeding in the specialized market segment. An 8 × 8 half-diallel mating design involving eight elite pink brinjal parental lines produced 28 cross combinations, which along with their parents, were evaluated for twenty horticultural traits in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Combining ability was estimated using Griffing’s Method II, Model I. Significant mean squares due to GCA and SCA revealed the simultaneous contribution of additive and non-additive genetic components in trait inheritance. Among the parental lines, Ganderbal Local Selection (P 3 ) and SJPB-22-12 (P 6 ) were identified as good general combiners for the majority of the yield-contributing traits, while Long Kashmiri × Kashmiri Long (P 4 × P 5 ) and SJPB-22-12 × Pink Long (P 6 × P 8 ) exhibited higher per se performance and significant positive SCA effectsfor yield related traits. In contrast, SJPB-22-08 × Pink Long (P 7 × P 8 ) exhibited good specific combining ability effects for quality traits. Beyond identifying promising parental lines and cross combinations, this study establishes a valuable genetic resource for the rational exploitation of heterosis and provides valuable evidence-based breeding strategies for developing high-yielding, good quality pink brinjal hybrids adapted to regional production systems.