Influence of Flower Types on Fruit Setting and Yield Dynamics of Summer Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

The study was conducted 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 during May to November 2013. Fourteen germplasms were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Marked variation was observed among the studied germplasms. The lowest number of clusters per plant (13.78) and it was highest (6.31) recorded from the genotype SM 011. The total floral bud(s) 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 percentage of long styled flowers per plant counted from the genotype SM 58-1 (64.37%). The 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 infestation was recorded from the 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 (edible fruit) 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. Fruit setting percentage and yield were found more in that germplasms which produced relatively higher percentage of long and medium styled flower.