author(s)
M Siva, K Uma Jyothi, AVD Dorajee Rao, B Bala Krishna, K Uma Krishna, M Rajyalakshmi, TSKKK Patro and N Emmanuel

abstract
The present study was conducted to assess the general combining ability effects of parents and specific combining ability effects of hybrids for qualitative and quantitative traits and explore their use in hybrid development. Twenty one eggplant hybrids generated by 7 × 7 half diallel and evaluated along with their 7 parents and 2 checks. The ratio of s²gca/ s²sca revealed that non-additive gene action was predominant in the inheritance of characters viz. plant height, days to final harvest, fruit weight, fruit yield per plant, fruit yield per plot, fruit yield per hectare, phenols content in fruit and ascorbic acid content in fruit, whereas, additive gene action was predominant in days to first flowering, days to 50% flowering, days to first harvest, flowers per cluster, fruits per cluster, fruit length and fruit girth. Among the parents, EC-169084, Pennada, Bhagyamati and EC-169089 were promising general combiners for fruit yield and other yield contributing traits viz. number of primary branches per plant, days to final harvest, fruits per cluster, fruits per plant, fruit yield per plot, fruit yield per hectare, ascorbic acid content and fruit borer damage percentage. Based on the sca effects, four hybrids viz. Bhagyamati x EC-169084, Pennada x EC-169084, Bhagyamati x EC-169089 and EC-169084 x EC-169089 were identified as promising specific combiners for fruit yield per plant, fruit yield per plot, number of fruits per plant, fruits per cluster and fruit weight.