Brinjal Breeding

Taxonomy Solanaceae is a plant family comprising about 2300 species, nearly one-half of which belong to the genus Solanum. Most species within this genus are endemic to the Americas, only 20% are Old orld species. !amily Solanaceae has been the source of many morphologically different domesticated species. "oganlar et al. #2002b$ e%plained this phenomenon with the fact that only a few conser&ed ma'or loci are responsible for the dramatic phenotypic changes that accompanied domestication in this family. Like tomato and pepper, eggplant is an autogamous diploid with 12 chromosomes. A molecular genetic lin(age map based on tomato c")A, genomic ")A, and *+, mar(ers was constructed for S. melongena #"oganlar et al. 2002a, +O- .enomic )etwor( 200/$. ,he comparison of the eggplant and tomato maps re&ealed that chromosomal e&olution since their di&ergence from the common ancestor has proceeded primarily through in&ersion of otherwise conlinear segments of the genome. O&erall, eggplant and tomato are differentiated by 20 rearrangements, which could be e%plained by 23 paracentric in&ersions and fi&e translocations during e&olution from the last common ancestor of the species. *ggplant and tomato are di&erged three- to si% fold more than tomato and potato #!ig. 1$. ,he domestication of the Solanaceae has been dri&en by mutations in a &ery limited number of target loci with ma'or phenotypic effect. +election pressures were e%erted on the same loci despite independent domestication of the crops on different continents. ,he conser&ation of gene function among the Solanaceae indicates that the wealth of (nowledge of genetic analysis of tomato, potato and pepper can be used as a springboard for rapid ad&ancement of eggplant genetics #!rary et al. 2003$.

!ig. 1. "endrogram of crop plants from Solanaceae family #Olmstead and 2almer 1334$

,he genomics in genus Solanum are e&ol&ing at a moderate pace compared to other plant species #"oganlar et al. 2002a$. ,he species of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum comprise almost one third of the genus and are distributed worldwide. ,he members of this monophyletic subgenus are defined by their sharp epidermal pric(les, thus they are commonly referred to as the 5spiny solanums6. ,he subgenus Leptostemonum includes a number of economically important species such as the culti&ated eggplants #-e&in et al. 2007, -e&in et al. 200/$. ,he common name 5eggplant6 encompasses three closely related culti&ated species, endemic to the Old orld, belonging to the genus Solanum -., subgenus Leptostemonum #"unal$ 8itter and two sections9 1. +ection Melongena - S. melongena -. #brin'al eggplant, aubergine$ : synonyms9 Solanum cumingii "unal, Solanum pressum "unal, Solanum undatum 2oiret sensu Ochse; - S. macrocarpon #.boma eggplant$ : synonyms9 Solanum integrifolium 2oiret &ar. macrocarpum, Solanum melongena -. &ar. depressum 8ail. 2. +ection Oliganthes - S. aethiopicum -. #scarlet eggplant, 'a%atu$ : synonyms9 Solanum integrifolium 2oiret, Solanum integrifolium 2oiret &ar. microcarpum, Solanum gilo <addi, Solanum naumannii *ngl., Solanum pierreanum 2ailleu% = 8ois, Solanum zuccagnianum "unal. >istorical and modern attempts of eggplant and its relati&es6 classification were in detail presented by Mace et al. #1333$. ,he historical difficulties and confusions connected with Solanum species classification is reflected by the fact that 1000- 1?00 Solanum species ha&e been described under more than 3000 binominal names #"aunay and -ester 1300$. 2roper classification of eggplant culti&ars and accessions collected all o&er the world is possible to achie&e with the use of molecular methods, such as supplementation of morphological analyses. ,he other parameters #morphological features, crossability, !1 fertility$ are insufficient, because of the high morphological &ariability in large and comple% genus Solanum, and the possibility of crossing between distantly related species #"aunay and -ester 1300, !urini and under 2003$. According to @arihaloo et al. #2002$, all members of the eggplant comple% were re&ealed to bear &ery high similarity to each other, based on studies of the seed protein profiles by +"+-2A.*. On the other hand, !urini and under #2003$ reported that the eggplant comple% showed a &ery large morphological &ariation, to some e%tent reflected in the unrooted tree based on the A!-2 data. ,he authors e%plained such a high degree of &ariation by using, in their analyses, the accessions deri&ed from Asian countries where the greatest di&ersity is found. Also, their ")A analyses were based on A!-2 mar(ers which pro&ed to be more informati&e than <A2" mar(ers and alloAymes. !urini and under #2003$ suggested that while all members of the eggplant aggregate cluster together, sufficient genomic fle%ibility has been created within the group to adapt to changes in the en&ironment. S. melongena may ha&e been indirectly deri&ed from the wild S. incanum, domesticated in Bndia and +outheast of China. S. aethiopicum and S. macrocarpon were domesticated in Africa from their wild relati&es S. anguivi and S. dasyphyllum

#-ester 1330$.

!ig. 2. "endrogram of Solanum species by D2.MA based on the genetic distance of )ei and -i #+a(ata and -ester 1334$ !rom the dendrogram constructed by the unweighted pair-group method, +a(ata and -ester #1334$ suggested that S. incanum is a species close to S. melongena, and the ne%t close species is S. macrocarpon #!ig. 2$. >igh genetic identities between S. melongena, S. incanum #wild form$ and S. insanum #weedy form$ were pro&ed by @arihaloo and .ottlieb #1337$ on the base of enAyme electrophoretic studies, and @arihaloo et al. #1337$ on the base of the random amplified polymorphic ")A #<A2"$ &ariation. Close genetic relationship between S. melongena and S. incanum was confirmed by +ingh et al. #200/$ using <A2" techniEue. S. melongena and S. macrocarpon were included to the section Melongena and S. aethiopicum to the section Oliganthes #"oganlar et al. 2002a$. ,he results of @arihaloo et al. #2002$ based on the seed protein study, and !urini and under #2003$ based on the amplified fragment length polymorphism #A!-2$ mar(ers indicate that S. macrocarpon is more related to S. aethiopicum #section Oliganthes$ than to S. melongena. +imilar results were obtained by Mace et al. #1333$ based on the A!-2 analysis of genetic relationship among the culti&ated eggplants and wild relati&es. ,he authors confirmed the close relationship between S. macrocarpon and S. dasyphyllum. ,he fact that S. macrocarpon and S. aethiopicum were domesticated and are culti&ated mainly in Africa supports their relati&ely similar topology in the dendrogram #!urini and under 2003$. Origin, domestication and economic importance S. melongena occurs in wild or semi wild form in India. Various data indicate, that from the several species that evolved in Africa, one S. incanum!, gave rise to a distinct species which spread to "outh#$ast Asia as the wild ancestor of S. melongena Lester 1%%&!. India or Indochina are recogni'ed as the centre of the eggplant diversit(. 2rimiti&e eggplant characters are tall plants with large, spiny lea&es, flowering in clusters with andromonoecy. )heir fruits are small, green, and *itter in taste, with thick skin and hard flesh. +omestication, mutation, natural intercrossing, human selection and h(*ridi'ation *rought e,tensive genetic diversit( of eggplant cultivars grown all over the world . Culti&ar

differences concern mainly the colour, shape and height of fruits, but chemical composition of fruits, the earliness of fruiting, yielding, en&ironmental reEuirements, etc. are also ta(en into consideration. !ruit colour &aries from light to dar( purple, almost blac(, green, or white. !ruit length is between ?-?7 cm, and thic(ness 2-37 cm, at different shapes and weight ranging between 17-1700 g. ,he fruits are set as single or in clusters, up to 7 fruits. 2hysiologically ripe fruits become brown, red or yellow #+warup 1337$. S. aethiopicum is a fruit and leaf vegeta*le. It is a her*aceous shru* with hair( or gla*rous leaves and hermaphroditic flowers, self or cross pollinated, single or in clusters. )he fruits are consumed raw or cooked. )he( are light to dark green, white or *lackish in colour, with a *itter taste that varies depending on saponin content. )he fruits shape is round, elongate#round or oval with smooth or grooved surface and taste var(ing from sweet to *itter, particularl( in the case of oval#fruit cultivars. At full maturit(, the fruits turn red or reddish#orange due to high carotene content. -ruit surfaces var( from smooth to grooved or ri**ed. )he leaves are often consumed in the same wa( as spinach "eek 1%%., /acha 2001!. S. macrocarpon is grown for large, gla*rous leaves 10 2 30 cm!, used as a green vegeta*le. -ruits have large, often clasping cal(,. )he( are su* spherical and large 3#10 cm in diameter, 2#4 cm long!, cream white, green#white or green. -ruits are sweeter in taste in comparison to S. aethiopicum!, and most preferred. At full maturit( fruits turn (ellow, orange or *rown with cracked surface Buken(a 1%%5, /acha 2001!. Brinjal eggplant was descri*ed in India in 3rd centur( B.6. )here were at least 33 sanskrit names for eggplant in ancient Indian literature, the most common *eing Varttaka, Bhantaki and 7attingan "warup 1%%1!. )he growing of eggplant smallfruited characters *egan in 5th centur( in 6hina, and in %th centur( in Africa. Although cultivated from prehistorical times, eggplant appears to have *een unknown to the 8estern 8orld for man( centuries. 7umerous Ara*ic and African names for eggplant, and the lack of ancient 9reek and :oman names indicate that the vegeta*le was carried into the /editerranean *( the Ara*s relativel( late, pro*a*l( in .th centur(. Melongena was an Ara*ic name for one of eggplant cultivars. Avicenna, ;the father of modern medicine<, mentioned it as a medicinal and vegeta*le plant. $ggplant was esta*lished in =oland *( 11th centur(, initiall( as ornamental and medicinal species. At present *rinjal eggplant is the third, after potato and tomato, most important crop from Solanaceae famil(. 9reatest eggplant producers are 6hina 1. mln tons per (ear!, India & mln tons!, $g(pt 1 mln tons! and )urke( 0.% mln ton! -A>")A) +ata 2004!. In =oland, like in man( 6entral $uropean countries, eggplant is still an e,otic vegeta*le *ut in Asia and the /editerranean it is an important and valua*le nourishment component, the so# called ?the king of vegeta*les@. African eggplants A S. aethiopicum and S. macrocarpon, are the most popular nati&e, traditional &egetables in est and Central Africa, but the producti&ity of these crops is still relati&ely low and the growing area and yields ha&e not been statistically e&aluated. ,he centre of these eggplants di&ersity is estern Africa. African eggplants are grown mainly in gardens

and small fields near &illages. S. aethiopicum is widely grown in +outh America, and S. macrocarpon in Asia and tropical America, too. Genetic resources .enetic resources of eggplants ha&e been collected methodically only in some *uropean and Asian countries, and there is no comprehensi&e collection dedicated to the germplasm of eggplants a&ailable worldwide. .ene ban(s for eggplant and related species ha&e been collected by the partners of $997$) project in $urope9 B)<A-Montfa&et, !rance; 8otanical and *%perimental .arden, Dni&ersity of )i'megen, ,he )etherlands; 8irmingham Dni&ersity 8otanic .ardens, 8irmingham, Dnited @ingdom; 2lant <esearch Bnternational #2<B$, Centre for .enetic <esources #C.<$, ageningen, ,he )etherlands; 8iotechnology "epartment #.enetics$, 2olytechnic Dni&ersity of Falencia #D2F$ Falencia, +pain; "epartment of Fegetables, Agricultural <esearch Centre of Macedonia and ,hrace #A<CM,$, ,hermi-,hessaloni(i, .reece; Bstituto del .ermoplasma #B".$, Consiglio )aAionale delle <icerche, 8ari, Btaly; Bnstitute of 2lant .enetic and Crop 2lant <esearch #B2@$, .atersleben, .ermany, and Bnstitut )ational d6>orticulture #B)>$, Angers, !rance. *..)*, connects all the *uropean collections and creates one *uropean collection, including more than 1400 accessions of S. melongena -., 470 accessions of S. aethiopicum and 210 accessions of S. macrocarpon #"aunay et al. 2003, 200/, *C2G.< *ggplant "atabase 200/$. ,he greatest gene ban(s of eggplants in other world regions ha&e been collected, among the others, in the )ational 9ermplasm :esources La*orator( in Beltsville, /ar(land, B"+A C A:" 7ational 9enetic :esources =rogram 9:I7! : 440 accessions of S. melongena, /0 of S. aethiopicum and ? of S. macrocarpon; )ational 8ureau of 2lant .enetic <esources, )ew "elhi, Bndia; Chinese Academy of Agricultural +ciences, Bnstitute of Crop .ermplasm <esources, )ational .ene 8an( of China #).8C$ : 1300 accessions of S. melongena; )ational Bnstitute of Agrobiological +ciences, Hapan : 7/1 accessions of S. melongena and 31 of S. aethiopicum; Asian Fegetable <esearch and "e&elopment Center, +hanhua, ,aiwan : 1444 accessions of S. melongena, 30 of S. aethiopicum and 133 of S. macrocarpon, and Fa&ilo& <esearch Bnstitute of 2lant Bndustry, +t. 2etersburg, <ussia : 230 accessions of S. melongena #Mueller et al. 2007, +O- .enomic )etwor( 200/$. Breeding objectives S. melongena is an ob'ect of intensi&e breeding programs mainly in the countries with intensi&e production of this species # estern *urope, ,ur(ey, Bndia, China, Hapan$. /an( -1 h(*rids, with differentiated phenot(pes are the result of *reeding works held in the last thirt( (ears. 7ew S. aethiopicum cultivars are *red in some African countries, *ut on a small scale, due to economic, sociological, and political situation in this region. S. macrocarpon cultivars are improved locall( *( growers, mainl( in Africa. 6ultivated S. melongena genot(pes often have insufficient levels of resistance to *iotic and a*iotic stresses. 9enetic resources of this species have *een assessed for resistance to its most serious diseases and pests. )he attempts at crossing eggplant with its wild relatives

resulted in limited success due to se,ual incompati*ilities . *ggplant tissues present a high morphogenetic potential, useful for de&elopmental studies as well as establishing biotechnological approaches to produce impro&ed &arieties, such as em*r(o rescue, in vitro selection, somatic h(*ridi'ation and genetic transformation #Collonnier et al. 2001, Magioli and Mansur 2007$. *ggplant in vitro regeneration can be induced from different e%plants with the use of distinct growth regulators and morphogenetic pathways, as it was summariAed by Magioli and Mansur #2007$. -or induction of em*r(ogenesis or organogenesis h(pocot(l, epicot(l, cot(ledon, stem nodes, leaf, and roots were used #+harma and <a'am 1337, Magioli et al. 1330, Magioli et al. 2001, !ran(lin and -a(shmi +ita 2003$. In addition, the availa*ilit( of efficient transformation protocols favors gene regulation studies, in particular those related to em*r(ogenesis, with advantages over other species. -rom this perspective, eggplant can *e considered as alternative model plant for stud(ing different aspects of plant *iolog( /agioli and /ansur 2001!. Dash(ap et al. 2003! summari'ed the efforts to improve eggplant genetics with emphasis on the use of *iotechnolog( to introgression genes from wild species into cultivated eggplant. -or e,ample, populations derived from the cross *etween S. linnaeanum and S. melongena ma( *e useful for future mapping of disease resistance and a*iotic stress loci and for transfer of these resistances to cultivated eggplant -rar( et al. 2003!. )olerance to Verticillium wilt was found in a wild relative of eggplant, Solanum torvum. )o transfer this tolerance to eggplant S. melongena!, protoplast fusions *etween eggplant and irradiated S. torvum protoplasts were performed *( Earl et al. 1%%%!. )he main S. melongena *reeding o*jectives areF I resistance to diseases, insects and nematodes #!usarium wilt Fusarium oxysporum, Ferticilium wilt Verticillium dahliae, 8acterrial wilt seudomonas solanacearum, eggplant fruit borer Leucinodes or!onalis, melon aphid "phis gossypii, leafhopper "mrasca !iguttula, root(not nematode Meloidogyne spp., etc.$, I resistance or tolerance to a*iotic stress #drought, low or high temperatures, salinity$, I parthenocarp(, G resistance to her*icides, I (ield and its Hualit( #the world a&erage 17.4 t ha-1, Africa 13.2 t ha-1, )orth America 23.1 t ha-1, +outh America 13.1 t ha-1, Asia 17.1 t ha-1, *urope 20.3 t ha-1. ,he yield of !1 hybrids often e%ceeds ?0-70 t ha-1 and is characteriAed by early maturity, uniform har&est, rich colour, taste and aroma, and great storage Euality$, I nutritive value #high dry matter, sugars, anthocyanin and total phenol contents, low le&el of polyphenol o%idase acti&ity and orthodihydro%y phenolic compounds to a&oid browning of cut fruits$, I market needs and consumer preference #+warup 1337, !arooEui et al. 1334, @umar et al. 1330, "onAella et al. 2000, Acciarri et al. 2002, 2rabha&athi et al. 2002, <ahman et al. 2002, 2essara(li and "ris 200?, +idhu et al. 2007$. +ome specific ob'ecti&es of S. aethiopicum breeding programs are9 developing of h(*rids and open pollinated cultivars resistant to mites, Stemphylium and lternaria comple,I improvement of (ield and fruit Hualit( colour, si'e, shape etc.! Anaso et al. 1%%0, "eek 1%%.!. >midiji 1%&3! evaluated the cultivars and -1 h(*rids of S. aethiopicum for the (ield and its components in 7igeria. )he results of *reeding for high (ield of *erries and improved (ield attri*utes of homo'(gous lines of S. aethiopicum were presented *( Anaso

et al. 1%%0!. 6arvalho and :i*eiro 2002! presented the results of com*ining a*ilit( anal(sis in diallel crosses among three Bra'ilian S. aethiopicum cultivars. S. aethiopicum and S. macrocarpon are of interest for genetic improvement of S. melongena, considering the presence of several traits of agronomic interest in its germplasm Al*a et al. 2001!. +auna( et al. 1%%3! reported the possi*ilit( of production and characteri'ation of fertile somatic h(*rids of S. melongena and S. aethiopicum Aculeatum group. "chaff et al. 1%&2! suggested the possi*ilit( of the transfer of genes for resistance to two#spotted spider mite from S. macrocarpon to S. melongena. )he interspecific h(*ridisation was used to transfer the resistance to !seudomonas solanacearum from Solanum aethiopicum to S. melongena. 8ith this method it was possi*le to o*tain a large variation in the shape and colour of the fruits Ano 1%&%!. 9owda et al. 1%%0! used the interspecific h(*ridisation *etween S. macrocarpon and S. melongena to o*tain h(*rids resistant to shoot and fruit *orer "eucinodes orbonalis!. :i''a et al. 2002! o*tained dihaploid plants through anther culture of somatic h(*rids *etween S. melongena and S. aethiopicum 9ilo group which were characteri'ed *( complete resistance to fungal wilt caused *( #usarium oxysporum f. sp. melongenae. $ultivars S. melongena is characteriAed by great morphological di&ersity. Martin and <hodes #1343$ cited the classification proposed by Choudhury #134/$ who di&ided brin'al eggplant culti&ars into three botanical &arieties on the basis of the shape of the fruit9 I S. melongena &ar. esculentum "unal #)ees$ : round, o&al or egg-shaped fruits, I S. melongena &ar. serpentinum -. : long slender fruits, I +. melongena &ar. depressum -. : small, miniature fruits, dwarf, and early types. Martin and <hodes #1343$ classified ?47 eggplant culti&ars from the world collection assembled by the D.+. "epartment of Agriculture into 11 groups, by 10 characteristics, using numerical ta%onomic methods9 B. ,ubefrut : dar( purple, long fruits, region of origin from Bndia to ,ur(ey, BB. +pinigrene : spiny foliage, greenish fruits : from Bndia and 2a(istan, BBB. Cluster : fruits in clusters, often white and long, BF. Oldster : long-li&ed plants with greenish or light purple fruits : from Bndia and 2a(istan, F. 2retiblum : dar(, purple flowers : from Bndia and 2a(istan, FB. ,algro : low yields, long, dar( purple fruits : from ,ur(ey, FBB. +tipe : strea(ed fruits : from Bndia to ,ur(ey, FBBB. *arlymot : high yields, early flowering : from Bndia to ,ur(ey, BJ. -a(luster : early flowering, low &igor, mottled fruits : from Bndia to ,ur(ey, J. -ateg : fruits often o&oid, late flowering : from Bndia to ,ur(ey, JB. Fioleaf : dar( purple foliage and stems, long, dar( purple fruits : unclear origin. ,he cited authors found that some similarity groups were composed of culti&ars from &arious countries from Bndia to ,ur(ey. ,his fact suggests a wide distribution of the principal character associations. Also culti&ars from *urope, Africa and )ew orld tended to fall into se&eral different similarity groups, which suggests their di&erse origins. .eographical groups can be

characteriAed, in some cases, by distincti&e characteristics as determined from group means, which clearly reflect preferences in the case of some countries, i.e. D+A or Hapan #Martin and <hodes 1343$. 2rohens et al. #2007$ studied the molecular and morphological di&ersity of 20 +panish traditional culti&ars of eggplant, collected in four groups9 KroundL, KsemilongL, KlongL, and Klistada de .randiaL. ,he authors found that eggplant culti&ars groups showed some genetic differences, and no indi&idual A!-2 #amplified fragment length polymorphism$ mar(ers specific and uni&ersal to one culti&ar group could be found. K<oundL culti&ars were genetically more di&erse than other groups. ,he results suggested that e&olution of eggplants in +pain has in&ol&ed freEuent hybridiAations and freEuent mo&ement and e%change seeds. ,he structure and di&ersity among the regions indicate that most of the di&ersity can be collected in single selected regions #2rohens et al. 2007$. ,he mentioned types of eggplant culti&ars, differentiated on the base of the shape and colour of the fruit and the origin, are often used in popular and professional literature. "ar( purple eggplants #western eggplants$ are typical for America and *urope, but introduced into Asia. 2lants are less &igorous but &ery producti&e. !ruits come in two basic shapes, o&al and elongated and are usually large #200-/00 g$. I o&al9 58lac( 8eauty6, 58onica !16, 5Classic !16, 5*pic !16, 5.aline !16, 5+onata !16, 5)adia !16, 5,udela !16, 5.ostbuster !16#white$, 5-istada de .randia6 #purpure stripped with white$, 5)eon !16 #pin( purpure$, 5<osita6 #pin( la&ender$, 5Mebra !16 #&iolet stripped with white$. I elongated9 58aluroi !16, 58lac( @ing6, 5!abina !16, 5Bchiban !16, 5-ong 2urple6, 5)ew 2urple6, 5)ite -ady !16, 5-a&ender ,ough !16 #white$, 5Casper6 #white$, 5Cloud )ine !16 #white$, 5Antigua6 #white stripped with la&ender$, 5!airy ,ale !16 #la&ender with white stri(es$, 5-ouisiana -ong .reen6 #green$. Miniature eggplants #Btalian, baby, finger eggplants$ : few inches long, narrow or rounded; they are generally sweeter and more tender than the larger &arieties; they also ha&e thinner s(ins and contain fewer seeds #58aby 8ell6 : blac(-purple, 58ianca <osa6 : white with la&ender strea(s, 52rosperosa6 : cherry eggplant, round, &iolet, 5Fioletta di !irenAe6 : &iolet$. Oriental eggplants, nati&e to tropical Asia, are &ery popular in Hapan, China, Bndia, ,hailand and the 2hilippines. 2lants are early and &igorous. !ruits could be purple, &iolet green, with or without stripes; round or slender in shape. ,ender and sweet in taste, they are coo(ed without peeling or salting, stuffed or ba(ed in Bndia, tempura in Hapan, stir-fried or boiled in China. Bn +outh-eastern Asia many primiti&e &arieties are culti&ated, with small green fruits and slight anthocyanin pigmentation. Oriental eggplants are di&ided into the following groups #+eedNuest 200/$9 I Chinese eggplants : usually long, &iolet, purple la&ender-bluish white,especially low in seeds, tender and sweet, plants are &igorous and prolific #5-ittle !ingers !16 : purple, 5-ong hite Angel !16 : white, 5Ma Mu 2urple6 : purple, 5Megado( !16 : purple, 52ing ,ung -ong6 : dar(purple, 5-uc(y .reen6 : green,

I Hapanese eggplants are firmer and hea&ier, sweet in taste, &iolet to in(y-purple, long or eggshaped #5@urume -ong 2urple6 : dar( purple, 5@yoto *gg !16 : dar( purple, round, 5Milionaire !16 : dar( purple, long, 5+enryu )i .ou !16 : dar( purple, elongated, 5+hoya -ong !16 : dar( purple, &ery long, I ,hai eggplants come in two groups9 small, round, tomato-li(e ones #?0-00 g : 5.reen "oll !16 : white with green stripes, 5@ermit !16 : greenGwhite, 5,hai <ound .reen6 : green, 5Fiolet 2rince !16 : &iolet, 5 hite 8all !16 : white, 52uangyo( ,hai 2ea6 : green cherry eggplant$ or &ery elongated #10 inches , about 100-200 g : 5<ole% !16 : green, 5,ai -ong .reen !16 : green$. ,hey are mild and sweet, dense, with thic( s(in, and many seeds. 2lants bearing lots of fruits are &ery attracti&e and often grown as ornamentals, I Bndian eggplants : small 30-100 g, o&al, &iolet to purple, sometimes with stripes #5Apsara !16 : purple with white stripes, 5Chu Chu !16 : red purpure, 5Man'ari6, 5<atna6 : dar( purple, 5<him Hhim6 : purple with white strea(s, 5>ari !16 : long, green, 58ali !16 : long, purple$ or medium siAed #200-300 g$ #58harata +tar !16 : round, dar( purple, 5+uphal6 : dar( purple, o&al, 5+upriya6 : round, &iolet$. Only two eggplant culti&ars ha&e been entered into ,he 2olish )ational -ist of Fegetables9 5Classic !16 #Clause ,OAier$ and 5*pic !16 #+eminis Fegetable +eeds, Bnc.$ and one culti&ar applied for addition to the )-B and accepted for testing 52<."-0/6 #B , +(ierniewice$ #CO8O<D, 200/$. S. aethiopicum is a phenotypically di&erse species. S. aethiopicum culti&ars could be di&ided into four groups9 I .ilo .roup : with hairy, inedible lea&es, and fruits differentiated in shape #round, elongated, egg-shaped or spindly$, colour and siAe #from a few to se&eral doAen grams$, I +hum .roup : with glabrous lea&es eaten as a green &egetable and &ery small, inedible, small, elongated fruits, I @umba .roup : with glabrous, large lea&es, eaten as a green &egetable, 7- 10 cm in diameter fruits also edible, I Aculeatum .roup : ornamentals with hairy lea&es and large fruits, often used for disease resistance breeding under the synonym S. integrifolium #-ester 130/, Caruso 2001, -ester and "aunay 2003$. ,he .ilo culti&ar group might ha&e e&ol&ed from the +hum culti&ar group through hybridiAation and selection #Anaso 1331$. +ted'e and 8u(enya-Miraba #2003$ studied the &ariation in 33 polymorphic <A2" mar(ers for 10 populations of S. anguivi and S. aethiopicum .ilo and +hum .roup. ,he &ariation among the species and groups was less than 10%, whereas the &ariation within the species and groups was more than 30%. ,he .ilo and +hum .roups of S. aethiopicum (ept morphologically distinct by a strong man-made selection pressure. +uperior &arieties of S. aethiopicum ha&e yet to be identified or de&eloped. ,he researches on new, promising &arieties are led at the African branch of the Asian Fegetable <esearch and "e&elopment Center #AF<"C$. ,he best (nown indigenous culti&ars are9 5Manyire .reen6 : a popular culti&ar of *ast Africa, characteriAed with round, green ripening to red fruits, 5,engeru

hite6 : round, half green, half white fruits, 5Ha%atu +o%na6 : flat, ribbed fruits, light green to white, 70-00 g, 5)6.oyo6 : flat, ribbed, dar(-green fruits, 40-00 g, 5)6.alam6 : flat, ribbed, light-green fruits, 120-100 g. Bn *urope and Americas the most widely grown are9 5,ur(ish Orange6 : small, orange spherical fruits, about / cm in diameter, with an e%cellent sweet taste, 5+weet <ed6 : small, attracti&e fruits, about 2.7 cm in diameter, with the green s(in with dar(-green stripes, turning red with dar(-red stripes at maturity, 5+mall <uffled <ed6 : small, deeply creased fruits, about 7 cm in diameter, with orange-red s(in, 5Comprido Ferde Claro6 and 5Morro <edondo6 : small ribbed fruits in a bright, acid green, widely grown in 8raAil, 5+weet African *gg6 with small, gently ribbed white fruits that mature to a glowing orange, both decorati&e and tasty. S. macrocarpon is less morphologically di&erse than S. melongena and S. aethiopicum. 8u(enya and Carasco #133?$ recogniAed four groups of S. macrocarpon comple% in Dganda9 S. macrocarpon #semi wild group$, S. macrocarpon 5Mu(ono6 c&. .roup and S. macrocarpon 5)abingo6 c&. .roup. ith the use of morphological and e%perimental methods they found the considerable &ariation within the two ma'or culti&ar groups, in particular 5Muno(o6. ,he &ariation within S. macrocarpon comple% is attributable to genotypic differences and en&ironmental factors #8u(enya and >all 1304$. $ggplants are species of economic importance mainl( in Asian and African countries. )he( are widel( cultivated in America and $urope. =rofessional growers see the necessit( of introducing new varieties, particularl( h(*rids, *reeding for ver( high Hualit( production, in different climatic 'ones. $ggplants are used for the treatment of man( diseases i.e. dia*etes, *ronchitis, asthma, d(suria, d(senter(, etc. -or an effective *reeding program, information concerning the e,tent and nature of genetic diversit( within the crop species is essential "ingh al. 2004!. It is useful for characteri'ing individual accessions and cultivars and as a genetic guide in the selection of the parents for h(*ridi'ation. Bt Brinjal BackgroundF P <ecently, Bndia6s first e%periment with commercial culti&ation of genetically-modified #.M$ &egetables has come one step closer to fruition when the .enetic *ngineering Appraisal Committee #.*AC$ cleared 8tbrin'al for culti&ation. P ,he decision still needs to be ratified by the en&ironment minister before it becomes policy. #,he final decision will come around march 2010$ .,he final decision to allow 8t 8rin'al into the mar(et is yet to be made. P At present Bndia allows commercial culti&ation of 'ust one genetically modified crop9 cotton. 8hat are 9eneticall( /odified 9/! foodsJ P.enetically modified #.M$ foods are foods deri&ed from genetically modified organisms. .enetically modified organisms ha&e had specific changes introduced into their ")A by genetic engineering, unli(e similar food organisms which ha&e been modified from their wild ancestors through selecti&e breeding #plant breeding and animal breeding$ or mutation breeding. P .M foods were first put on the mar(et in the early 1330s. 8hat is BtJ

P #acillus thuringiensis #or 8t$ is a .ram-positi&e, soil-dwelling bacterium, commonly used as a pesticide. P 8. thuringiensis also occurs naturally in the gut of caterpillars of &arious types of moths and butterflies, as well as on the dar( surface of plants. Advantages of Bt J P ,he le&el of to%in e%pression can be &ery high thus deli&ering sufficient dosage to the pest. ,he to%in e%pression is contained within the plant system and hence only those insects that feed on the crop perish. P ,he to%in e%pression can be modulated by using tissue-specific promoters, and replaces the use of synthetic pesticides in the en&ironment. P ,he latter obser&ation has been well documented worldwide. 8hat is Bt BrinjalJ 8t 8rin'al is a transgenic brin'al created out of inserting a gene QCry 1AcR from the soil bacterium 8acillus thuringiensis into 8rin'al. P ,he insertion of the gene into the 8rin'al cell in young cotyledons has been done through an Agrobacterium-mediated &ector, along with other genes li(e promoters, mar(ers etc. P ,his gi&es #so said$ 8rin'al plant resistance against lepidopteran insects li(e the 8rin'al !ruit and +hoot 8orer #Leucinodes or!onalis$ and !ruit 8orer #$elicoverpa armigera$. P Bt is reported that upon ingestion of the 8t to%in by the insect, there would be disruption of digesti&e processes, ultimately resulting in the death of the insect. +amage F Bt is estimated that the damage caused by the +hoot = !ruit 8orer in brin'al which has been the ma'or pest for the past two decades ranges from 70 to 40% and in economic terms, it is estimated to be around S221 millions. P Bt is to lend tolerance to this pest primarily that the 8t 8rin'al has been de&eloped. )he +evelopment of B) BrinjalF 8t 8rin'al is being de&eloped in Bndia by MGs Mahyco or Maharashtra >ybrid +eeds Company in collaboration with Monsanto. P ,he transformation wor( on 8t 8rin'al started in Tear 2000. 8iosafety tests li(e pollen flow studies, acute oral to%icity etc., were ta(en up along with bac(-crossing programme from 2002. P After two years of greenhouse e&aluation, in 200?, multi-locational field trials were conducted in 11 locations with fi&e hybrids QMahyco6s M>8-? 8t 8rin'al, M>8-3 8t 8rin'al, M>8-10 8t 8rin'al, M>8-00 8t 8rin'al and M>8-33 8t 8rin'alR. P ,his was also the year when BCA< QBndian Council for Agricultural <esearchR too( up trials with the same hybrids under the All Bndia Coordinated <esearch 2ro'ect on Fegetable Culti&ation in 11 locations. P hile the BCA< second year trials continued for these fi&e hybrids in 2007, three more new hybrids were assessed by the company QM>8-11 8t 8rin'al, M>8-33 8t 8rin'al and M>8-112 8t 8rin'alR and BCA< in the same year in ele&en centres. P Mahyco has sub-licensed the technology, as part of the D+AB"-supported, Cornell Dni&ersityled A8+2BB pro'ect Qconsortium of public and pri&ate sector institutionsR to ,amil )adu Agricultural Dni&ersity #,)AD$, ,he Dni&ersity of Agricultural +ciences, "harwad and ,he Bndian Bnstitute of Fegetable <esearch, Faranasi #BBF<$.

P ,his transfer of technology was apparently free-of-cost, with the public sector institutes allowed to de&elop, breed and distribute their own 8t 8rin'al &arieties on a cost-to-cost basis. P Bn addition to Mahyco, the )ational <esearch Center for 8iotechnology at the Bndian Agricultural <esearch Bnstitute #BA<B$ is also e%perimenting with 8t 8rin'al. P ,hey de&eloped a 8t eggplant using a Cry1Ab gene that is claimed to control 40 percent of the fruit borerattac(. ,his institute had ta(en up agronomic trials in a controlled en&ironment in 1330G33, 1333G2000, and 2000G2001. Bn 2003 they were permitted to conduct field trials in fi&e locations - "elhi, @arnal, 2une, ,amil )adu Agricultural Dni&ersity and the Bndian Bnstitute of >orticultural <esearch. =oisitive ViewsF #of the company$ Bt is reported that the a&erage shoot damage in 8t 8rin'al hybrids ranged from 0.0?% to 0.3% as compared to 0.12% to 2.7% in non-8t 8rin'al hybrids. P ,he percentage of damaged fruits reportedly ranged from 2.7% to 20% in 8t 8rin'al to 2?% to 70% in non-8t counterparts P )o significant difference was noted between 8t 8rin'al and )on-8t 8rin'al, as per the company which did biosafety tests li(e acute oral to%icity, sub-chronic oral to%icity in rats, allergenecity of protein to rats, germination, weediness and aggressi&eness tests, soil micro-biota studies etc. P ,his will help small and marginal farmers from ha&ing to use 27-00 sprays of pesticides which are ineffecti&e, says the company. ,he company claims that human health concerns due to pesticide use can be addressed with this transgenic 8rin'al with its in-built tolerance P Company promises that through this in-built tolerance, there would be substantial increase in mar(etable yields. >igher yields would result in higher incomes for farmers, it is e%pected. P ,he pricing of the seeds will be based on a cost-reco&ery model, ma(ing it affordable for all farmers, whether the seed comes from the pri&ate sector or the public sector, it is promised P !armers will be able to continue to sa&e and re-use their seed for the hybrids and &arieties because of this arrangement, it is reported 7egative ViewsF P +e&eral studies on 8t crops in particular and .M crops in general show that there are many potential health haAards in foods bio-engineered in this manner. P .M-fed animals in &arious studies ha&e shown that there are problems with growth, organ de&elopment and damage, immune responsi&eness and so on. P ith 8t crops, a recent study from Madhya 2radesh in Bndia shows ad&erse human health impacts in farm and factory wor(ers with allergies caused by 8t Cotton. P Btching s(in, eruptions on the body, swollen faces etc., were also reported, correlated with le&els of e%posure to 8t Cotton. P A study from 2hillippines shows that people li&ing ne%t to 8t Corn crop fields had de&eloped many mysterious symptoms, especially during pollination time.

P Bt has also been shown from studies elsewhere that genes inserted into .M food sur&i&e digesti&e processes and are transferred into the human body. ,hey are (nown to ha&e transferred themsel&es into intestinal bacteria too. P8t to%in had caused powerful immune responses and abnormal cell growth in mice. Bt has also been shown that all the Cry proteins in 8t crops ha&e amino acid seEuence similar to (nown allergens and are hence potential allergens. 6onclusionF P idespread scepticism had greeted the first culti&ation of 8t cotton. >owe&er it has been an unEualified success with yields multiplying many times o&er. P !or &egetablesUthere are some ?0 &arieties in different stages of trialsUthe case for genetically-modified crops isn6t simply about higher yields. Bt is as much about de&eloping &arieties more resistant to pests, which destroy a significant proportion of &egetable crops at the moment. P*stimates suggest that 8t brin'al could add to the current annual production of 00 la(h tones by 70-40%Uthat6s as much destroyed by pests. Bt will be good for farmers and good for consumers. P8t brin'al has been in &arious stages of trial for many years now. At least two years ha&e been de&oted to actual field trials in 11 select locations. )o ad&erse effect has either been reported on the soil or in the consumption of 8t brin'al. P+ome studies suggest that 8t 8rin'al may be more en&ironment friendly than regular brin'al. Another concern often e%pressed about genetically-modified seeds is that the intellectual property is owned by multinational firms. PBn the case of 8t brin'al, howe&er, Bndian research institutions ha&e been &ery closely associated with the researchUthe ,amil )adu Agriculture Dni&ersity and Dni&ersity of Agricultural +ciences, "harwad. ,he seeds are being manufactured by the Maharashtra >ybrid +eedCompany in collaboration with Monsanto. P.i&en the periodic scenario of high food prices and reports of supply crunches, Bndia has little choice but to raise yields of (ey foodgrains and &egetables. ,here is much tal( of another .reen <e&olution. P .M is one technology that can be used in the &ery near future to facilitate such a re&olution.Many other parts of the world are already leading us by some margin on the production of .M crops. Bt Brinjal in Bangladesh About the 8t 8rin'al 2ro'ect 8rin'al, a widely consumed &egetable crop in the tropics, is commonly infested by 8rin'al fruit and shoot borer #*!+8$, which de&astates both plants in the field during de&elopment and 8rin'al fruits post har&est. ,he approach so adopted was the application of insect-resistance technology #based on the Cry1Ac protein from 8acillus thuringiensis$ in 8rin'al and commercialiAing it in Bndia, 8angladesh and the 2hilippines. -i(e all food crops assailed by pests, 8rin'al crops are ra&aged by the 8rin'al !ruit and +hoot 8orer #-eucinodes orbonalis$, or *!+8, the most widespread and de&astating pest in +outh and +outheast Asia, with infestation inflicting about a 40% crop loss. ,he *!+8 lar&ae feed inside the 8rin'al shoot and fruits, retarding the &egetati&e growth of the plant and decreasing the mar(etability and edibility of the fruit.

Countless attempts to crossbreed 8rin'al &arieties with *!+8-resistant wild &arieties ha&e been unsuccessful forcing the farming community to rely hea&ily on chemical pesticides for pest control. ,he *!+8 population has gradually become resistant to chemical inputs compelling the farmers to resort to illegal methods of combining chemical pesticides, ris(ing human health and the en&ironment to control the insect. )he 6olla*orative $ffortF )echnolog( and its transfer MA>TCO is the first pri&ate Bndian company to ha&e recei&ed the rights under license for the use of the 8t cry1Ac gene technology for insect-pest management from Monsanto Company. ,his licensed cry gene technology was used by MA>TCO to de&elop and generate hybrid 8rin'al e&ents. 8acillus thuringiensis #8t$, a spore-forming bacterium, produces crystal proteins #called Cry proteins$ to%ic to many species of insects, including *!+8. ith specific mode of action, the lethal 8t protein is ingested by the insect and is acti&ated in the high p> en&ironment of the insect gut. ,he acti&ated protein perforates the lining of the gut, annihilating the insect. ,he main ad&antage of this technology is that it reduces the use of chemical pest control ma(ing the technology safe for the en&ironment as well as human consumption. ,he 8t cry1Ac-gene technology, on a probono basis was sublicensed by MA>TCO to se&eral public institutes in +outh and +outheast Asia that were participating in a public-pri&ate consortium created by the A8+2BB initiati&e to foster de&elopment of the *!+8 resistant 8rin'al and its widespread distribution. ,he A8+2 BB played a pi&otal role in this &enture by funding all the consortium partners for their <=" roles in de&eloping the *!+8-resistant 8rin'al. =artnerships India ,he public institutional partners in the consortium comprise of the Bndian Bnstitute of Fegetables <esearch #BBF<$, ,amil )adu Agricultural Dni&ersity #,)AD$ and the

Dni&ersity of Agricultural +ciences #DA+, "harwad$.

,hese were chosen because they ha&e capability and infrastructure for seed de&elopment and multiplication for end use distribution. =hilippines ,he Bnstitute of 2lant 8reeding at the Dni&ersity of the 2hilippines at -os 8anos #B28-D2-8$ is the partner, gi&en its pro&en trac( record of producing and distributing foundation and certified seed of open-pollinated &arieties and hybrids of &arious economically important crops including &egetables to the resource-constrained farmers and other user communities.

Bangladesh ,he primary pri&ate sector partner is *ast- est +eeds, a multinational &egetable seed producer with a leading mar(et position in all ma'or +outh *ast and +outh Asian &egetable seed mar(ets. ,he main public partner is the 8angladesh Agricultural <esearch Bnstitute #8A<B$ which has de&eloped numerous 8rin'al &arieties. ,he Mahyco de&eloped the 8t 8rin'al e&ents, which were transferred to the public institutions in Bndia, 8angladesh and the 2hilippines for bac(crossing and propagating regional 8rin'al &arieties other than hybrids. ,he technology was sublicensed by MA>TCO on a royalty-free basis to public research institutes in +outh and +outh-*ast Asia; and on commercial royalty-bearing terms to pri&ate partner in 8angladesh.

,o safeguard the licensor6s interests, specific strategies for the stewardship and monitoring of the technology by the licensees was addressed and formulated early in the sublicensing process. >utreach and BenefitF ,he first transgenic 8t hybrids de&eloped by MA>TCO are slated to be commercially released in Bndia by the end year 2003 after the fulfillment of all regulatory reEuirements. ,he transgenic regional &arieties under de&elopment by the public-pri&ate partnership initiati&e are e%pected to be commercialiAed mid 2003. Most resource-constrained farmers in the de&eloping world culti&ate their local regional &arieties because of the lower costs in&ol&ed. 8y recogniAing these agricultural practices, and by pro&iding the public sector with access to 8t technology for use in regional &arieties, &ia a uniEue publicpri&ate partnership, MA>TCO commercialiAes both, its 8t hybrid 8rin'al #sold on a for-profit basis$ and through it6s donation, addresses the need to impro&e crops of &ital importance to poor farmers. ,his public-pri&ate partnership also addresses distribution issues9 the participating public institutions will be able to deli&er high-Euality 8t 8rin'al seeds that are resistant to *!+8 through their own public distribution systems on a cost basis #in other words, without adding profit margins$. Brinjal varieties from BA:I )ame of crop 8rin'al 8rin'al 8rin'al 8rin'al 8rin'al 8rin'al 8rin'al 8rin'al 8rin'al Category Fegetable crops Fegetable crops Fegetable crops Fegetable crops Fegetable crops Fegetable crops Fegetable crops Fegetable crops Fegetable crops )ame of &ariety 8A<B 8egun-2 #,arapuri$, >ybrid 8A<B 8egun-7 #)ayantara$ 8A<B 8egun-1 #Dttara$ 8A<B 8egun-? #@aAla$ 8A<B 8egun-/ 8A<B 8egun-4 8A<B 8egun-0 8A<B 8egun-3 8A<B 8egun-10 200/ 200/ 2004 2003 2003 1330 1307 1330 Tear of release 1332

Name of crop Category Name of variety Image : : :

8rin'al Fegetable crops 8A<B 8egun-2 #,arapuri$, >ybrid

Identifying character

!ruits are oblong, purple colour, Tield is about #70% higher than the mother plant with fruitsGplant$, !irst e&er hybrid brin'al &ariety in the country, A&erage indi&idual fruit weight 200 g

Developed by (Centre/Division) Year of release Crop duration Yield (ton/ha) Fruit Si e Fruit Colour Suitable area So!ing time "arvesting time

: : : : : : : : :

Olericulture "i&ision, ><C, .aAipur 1332 170-100 days 00 Oblong 2urple All o&er 8angladesh August- +eptember "ecember to March

Name of crop Category Name of variety : :

#rin$al %egetable crops #&'I #egun() (Nayantara)

Image

Identifying character Developed by (Centre/Division) Year of release Crop duration Yield (ton/ha) Fruit Si e Fruit Colour Suitable area So!ing time "arvesting time

: : : : : : : : : :

*lants are erect in nature+ ,arly bearer+ Fruits are round !ith shiny deep purple colour+ -.(-) fruits per plant+ Individual fruit !eight -/.(0.. g 1lericulture Division+ "'C+ 2a ipur -334 -).(-4. days 5)(). 'ound Shiny deep purple &ll over #angladesh &ugust( September December to 6arch

Name of crop Category Name of variety : :

#rin$al %egetable crops #&'I #egun(- (7ttara)

Image

Identifying character Developed by (Centre/Division) Year of release Crop duration Yield (ton/ha) Fruit Si e Fruit Colour Suitable area So!ing time "arvesting time

: : : : : : : : : :

"igh yielding brin$al variety+ *rolific bearer+ 4.(-.. fruits/plant+ Fruits borne in cluster+ &verage individual fruit !eight 8.(/. g 1lericulture Division+ "'C+ 2a ipur -34) -).(-4. days (D&9) 8. 6edium long *in: &ll over #angladesh &ugust ; September September < 1ctober

Name of crop Category Name of variety : :

#rin$al %egetable crops #&'I #egun(5 (=a la)

Image

Identifying character Developed by (Centre/Division) Year of release Crop duration Yield (ton/ha) Fruit Si e Fruit Colour Suitable area So!ing time "arvesting time

: : : : : : : : : :

Fruit shape is oblong !ith shining blac:ish purple colour+ Number of fruits/plant is about /.(4.+ Single fruit !eight is about ))(8) gm> 1lericulture Division+ "'C+ 2a ipur -334 -).(-4. days ).()) 1blong Shining blac:ish purple &ll over #angladesh &ugust( September December to 6arch

Name of crop Category Name of variety : :

#rin$al %egetable crops #&'I #egun(/

Image

Identifying character Developed by (Centre/Division) Year of release Crop duration Yield (ton/ha) Fruit Si e Fruit Colour Suitable area So!ing time "arvesting time

: : : : : : : : : :

Number of fruits per plant ?.(?)+ Fruit !eight 4.(3.g+ Fruit are deep purple long cylindrical+ 9olerant to #@ 1lericulture Division+ "'C+ 2a ipur 0..8 -).(-4. days 5)(). Aong cylindrical Deep purple &ll over #angladesh &ugust( September December to 6arch

Name of crop Category Name of variety : :

#rin$al %egetable crops #&'I #egun(4

Image

Identifying character Developed by (Centre/Division) Year of release Crop duration Yield (ton/ha) Fruit Si e Fruit Colour Suitable area So!ing time "arvesting time

: : : : : : : : : :

Number of fruits per plant 0.(0)+ Suitable for gro!ing in summer+ Fruit !eight /.(4.g+ Fruit are deep purple long cylindrical+ 'esistant to #@ 1lericulture Division+ "'C+ 2a ipur 0../ -).(-4. days 5)(). Aong cylindrical Deep purple &ll over #angladesh &ugust( September (@inter)+ February <6arch (Summer) December to 6arch

Name of crop Category Name of variety : :

#rin$al %egetable crops #&'I #egun(3

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Identifying character

Intermediate gro!th habit !ith semi(deep lobed leaves+ 1void shaped fruits (!idest part of fruit is about ?/5 !ay from base to tip)+ Shiny deep green fruit s:in !ith !hite dotted stripe from the tip (mottled pin:ish shade observed at early gro!th stage)+ "igh bearer (?.(?) fruits/plant)+ Comparatively shorter plant height (av> ). cm) *lants moderately resistant to bacterial !ilt and nematode and resistant to foot rot>

Developed by (Centre/Division) Year of release Crop duration Yield (ton/ha) Fruit Si e Fruit Colour Suitable area So!ing time "arvesting time

: : : : : : : : :

1lericulture Division+ "'C+ 2a ipur 0..3 -5.(-). days ).()) (t/ha) 1void Shiny deep green fruit s:in !ith !hite dotted stripe from the blossom end &ll over #angladesh (Specially for Chittagong region) September (@inter) December to 6arch

Name of crop Category Name of variety : :

#rin$al %egetable crops #&'I #egun(-.

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Identifying character

: "eat tolerant line suitable for gro!ing round the year+ Aong cylindrical shaped fruits having round tip+ &ttractive shiny deep bric: purple fruit s:in colour+ Intermediate gro!th habit having fe! pric:les (?()) on leaves+ *lants moderately resistant to bacterial !ilt+ soil nematodes+ aphid and $assid>

Developed by (Centre/Division) Year of release Crop duration Yield (ton/ha) Fruit Si e Fruit Colour Suitable area So!ing time "arvesting time

: : : : : : : : :

1lericulture Division+ "'C+ 2a ipur 0..3 -). days ).()) (t/ha) Aong cylindrical &ttractive shiny deep bric: purple &ll over #angladesh Septemer (@inter)+ February (Summer) December to 6arch (@inter) and april to September (Summer)

Name of crop Category Name of variety : :

#rin$al %egetable crops #&'I #egun(8

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sIdentifying character Developed by (Centre/Division) Year of release Crop duration Yield (ton/ha) Fruit Si e Fruit Colour Suitable area So!ing time "arvesting time

: : : : : : : : : :

Number of fruits per plant -)(-/+ Fruit !eight 00)(0).g+ Fruit are light green round+ 9olerant to #@ and Bassid 1lericulture Division+ "'C+ 2a ipur 0..8 -).(-4. days 5)(). 'ound Aight green &ll over #angladesh &ugust( September December to 6arch