EVALUATION OF SINGLE PLANT PROGENIES OF DIPLOID AND INDUCED AUTOTETRAPLOID SOLANUM VIARUM DUNAL

Solanum viarum (Syn. S. khasianum var. chatterjeeanum) is commercially exploited by steroid industry. Induced autotetraploids in this crop have higher content of the steroid, solasodine, in berries than diploids. Therefore, they deserve promotion as commercial crop cultivars. In an effort to enhance berry yield in autotetraploids through selection and to understand yield architecture in the two ploidy types, single plant progenies of 17 diploids and 18 (C₂ generation) autotetraploids were evaluated in a replicated trial. Six autotetraploid lines were found to be on par with the high (dry) berry-yielding diploids while yield architecture in the two ploidy types differed. Autotetraploids were superior to diploids in berries per node, berry wall weight and 100 seed weight but were inferior in dry weight of berry as well as number and weight of seeds per berry. Significant positive association between number of berry bearing nodes per plant and number of berries per node was unique to autotetraploids which will permit simultaneous improvement in these components of total berry yield. Autotetraploids produced adequate seeds to permit their propagation on a commercial scale.