THE INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDIZATION, A SOURCE OF VARIABILITY : AN EXAMPLE THE EGGPLANT

The interspecific hybridization is in current use for plant improvement.
With this technology it is possible to transfer physiological, technological qualities or disease resistance to cultivated varieties from related species.

Usually, after the interspecific-cross, the breeder comes back rapidly to the wished variety alternating self-fertilization, selection and back-crossing phases.

In a crossing programme destined to transfer the resistance to Pseudomonas solanacearum from Solanum aethiopicum to Solanum melongena, inter-crossing phases were put in place of self-fertilization phases.
With this method it was possible to obtain not only a very good resistance to Pseudomonas solanacearum but also a large variation in the shape and colour of the fruits.

With this method it would be possible to widen the variability for some species.

I International Symposium on Diversification of Vegetable Crops

G. Ano

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1989.242.19