Proceedings of the XLVII Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Verona, Italy - 24/27 September, 2003

ISBN 88-900622-4-X

Poster Abstract - 2.49

“AMELINA” F1: A NEW HYBRID OF CLUSTER EGGPLANT WITH SMALL FRUITS

G.L. ROTINO*, P. ALBERTI*, N. ACCIARRI**, E. SABATINI**, S. DEGNO***, S. CAMPOCCIA***, O. DI CARA***

*) Istituto Sperimentale per l’Orticoltura Sezione di Montanaso Lombardo (MiPAF)

**) Istituto Sperimentale per l’Orticoltura Sezione di Monsampolo del Tronto (MiPAF)

***) Hybrid Ka D2

Solanum melongena L., cluster, hybrid

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is a vegetable crop widely spread in Italy, both in open field and greenhouse. In the year 2002, eggplant was grown on 12365 ha, with a total yield of 358000 MT.

Although different fruit types of eggplant are known by the consumers, up to now only two types of eggplant fruit -oval or long shaped and with high weight- are mainly grown in Italy, despite a high variability in fruit color, shape and weight present within the Solanum melongena gene pool.

The Research Institute for Vegetable Crops have started a research program in order to improve and introduce new typologies of eggplant in Italy.

Inside the whole germplasm collected by the Institute, a private seed company –Hybrid Ka D2-showed a notable interest toward the types with cluster fructification and small fruits . A consequent joint research agreement has been set up in order to obtain new hybrids of this fruit types, that can be usefully grown in greenhouse.

The first hybrid submitted to registration at the National Register of Varieties is “Amelina F1”. This new cultivar, suitable to both open field and greenhouse conditions, is characterized by 4-7 fruits per cluster with contemporary ripening. Single fruits at harvest are 13-18 cm long, the skin is violet and the calyx is green with violet stripes; exposition to the light increase the intensity of the violet color. Fruit weight ranges from 25 to 40 grams. Plant production depends on cycle length. The commercialization can be made in cluster or packaging single fruits.

“Amelina” shows high performances in winter period of cultivation under greenhouse and good adaptation to treatment with phytohormones or bumblebees to improve the fruit set and growth.