Mineral composition and their genetic variability analysis in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) germplasm

Eggplant, Solanum melongena L. is one of the most popular and major vegetable crops grown in South Asia and other parts of the world. It is an important source of plant-derived nutrients like minerals, available throughout the year and popular among the poor. Thirty two morphologically diverse eggplant germplasm accessions were analyzed for macro-and micro-minerals. Significant differences in the mineral content among the germplasm accessions were detected. Potassium and magnesium ranged from 177.19 to 274.48 mg and 6.25 to 18.34 mg/100 g fresh weight (FW), respectively. Copper, iron and zinc ranged from 0.024 to 0.178, 0.170 to 0.846 and 0.073 to 0.233 mg/100 g FW, respectively. Phenotypic co-efficient of variation and genotypic co-efficient of variation were high for the minerals studied except potassium. High broad sense heritability (84.44-97.07%) indicated the presence of additive gene effects. Significant positive correlation were found between zinc with potassium (r=0.397), magnesium (r=0.439) and copper (r=0.409). Overall, two germplasm accessions IC090785 and IC383102 have been identified as rich sources for all minerals studied, which could be utilized further in breeding programme for developing mineral-rich varieties of eggplant.