STUDIES ON THE QUALITY OF EGGPLANT SEED

The present investigations had a special bearing on the effect of the level arrangement of fruits along the stem, stage of maturity, and term of post-harvest storage of fruits on the production of heterosis seed with eggplant. Studied were likewise the effects of some other factors in this respect.

The results obtained with the study of the experimental material gave grounds to assume that:

Seeds obtained from fruits of the first and second level are of highest 1000-seed weight, germination energy and germinability.

The stage of maturity influences the quality of seeds and substantiates earliness. Highest quality seeds are obtainable from eggplant fruits harvested in full botanical maturity.

The post-harvest storing of fruits in the course of three to five days has been found to influence most favourably the 1000-seed weight, the germination energy, and the germination capacity of the seeds. It is also shown to improve the productivity of plants originating from such seeds.

With regard to heterosis seed production of eggplant best is the quality of seeds when obtained from fruits which are the result of the abundant pollination of mother plant flowers, the pollen itself being collected from a higher number of plants. In such case pollination should be carried out two or three times. When stored pollen is used pollination should take place not later than the 4th day of storage and not later than the 2nd or 3rd day following the emasculation of flowers.