The Morphological Diversity and Fruit Characterization of Turkish Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Populations

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 34 - 44, 31.01.2017

Ahmet Balkaya

Abstract

Turkey is one of the most important countries in the world for plant genetic resources and genetic diversity. Genetic
resources are characterized by morphological and agronomical traits. There is a need to collect, characterize and evaluate
remnants of local populations before they disappear. Morphological characterization is the first stage of the identification
and classification of genetic resources. In this study, the aim was to determine the similarities and differences in the
morphological variations of the eggplant populations collected from different eco-geographical regions of Turkey. Seventy
five populations of eggplant were characterized using standard morphological descriptors specified by the IBPGR. The
phenotypic diversity in their fruit characters was also assessed. Cluster and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was
performed to determine the relationships among these accessions and to obtain information on the fruit characteristics
for the definition of groups. The principal component analysis showed that the first four principal component axes
explained 71.38% of the total multivariate variation. The results demonstrated many differences in fruit traits in the
detailed eggplant populations. Clustered into nine groups, a dendrogram was prepared to evaluate the morphological
differences among the populations. It revealed a high degree of variation. The results provided information on the
diversity, and this identified eggplant genetic resources to be evaluated for the development of new candidate varieties
in future breeding activities.

Keywords

Solanum melongena, genetic resources, characterization, classification, diversity, Turkey

References

• Balkaya A and Karaagac O (2005). Vegetable genetic resources of Turkey. Journal of Vegetable Science, 11(4): 81-102. Balkaya A, Yanmaz R and Ozbakir M (2009). Evaluation of variation in seed characters in Turkish winter squash (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) populations. New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 37(3): 167-178. Balkaya A, Ozbakir M and Kurtar E (2010). The phenotypic and fruit characterization of winter squash (Cucurbita maxima) populations from 44 bitki ıslahçıları alt birliği www.bisab.org.tr Ekin Journal the Black Sea region of Turkey. African Journal of Biotechnogy, 9(2): 152-162. Boyaci F, Unlu A and Abak K (2010). Screening for resistance to fusarium wilt of some cultivated eggplants and wild Solanum accessions. 28th International Horticultural Congress, 22-27 August, 935, pp. 23-27. D’Anna F and Sabatino L (2013). Morphological and agronomical characterization of eggplant genetic resources from the Sicily area. Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment, 11(1): 401-404. Daunay MC, Lester RN, Gebhardt C, Hennart W, Jahn M and Doganlar S (2001). Genetic resources of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and allied species: a new challenge for molecular geneticists and eggplant breeders. Nijmegen University Press, Nijmegan, Netherlands pp. 251-274. Filiz N and Ozçalabi R (1992). Determination of phenological, morphological and pomological characteristics of some aubergine cultivars (in Turkish). I Turkish Horticulture Congress, 13-16 October, Izmir, Turkey. Hornokova O, Zavodna M, Zakova M, Kraic J, Debre F (2003). Diversity of common bean landraces collected in the western and eastern Carpatien. Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed. 39: 73-83. Jeffers JNR (1967). Two cases studies in the application of principal component analysis. Appl. Stat. 16: 225-236. Karim MR, Rahman MM and Quamruzzaman AKM (2016). Genetic divergence in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) genotypes. Bangladesh Journal Agril. Res. 41(3): 433-439. Kashyap V, Kumar SV, Collonnier C, Fusari F, Haicour R, Rotino GL, Sihachakr D and Rajam MV (2003). Biotechnology of eggplant. Scientia Horticulturae, 97: 1-25. Kumar SR, Arumugam T and Anandakumar CR (2013). Genetic diversity in eggplant. Plant Gene and Trait, 4(2): 4-8. Küçük SA (2003). Solanaceae genetic resources activities in Turkey. National Collections. Solanaceae Genetic Resources in Europe. Report of two meetings 21 September 2001, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. 22 May 2003, Skierniwice, Poland. La Malfa G (1990). Scienza e tecniche delle produzioni vegetali. Orticoltura pp. 793-811. Pirinç V (1999). Şanlıurfa yerel patlıcan populasyonlarının kendilenmiş hatlarıyla karşılaştırılması üzerine bir araştırma. Harran Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Bahçe Bitkileri Anabilim Dalı, Yüksek Lisans Tezi, 82 s. (In Turkish) Prohens J, Blanca JM and Nuez F (2005). Morphological and molecular variation in a collection of eggplants from a secondary centre of diversity: Implications for conservation and breeding. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 130(1): 54-63. Quamruzzaman AKM, Rashid MA, Ahmed S and Moniruzzzaman M (2009). Genetic divergence analysis in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 34(4): 705-712. Schippmann U, Leaman DJ and Cunningham AB (2002). Impact of cultivation and gathering of medicinal plants on biodiversity: Global trend sand issues. Biodiversity and the Ecosystem approach in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, FAO, Rome, 21 p. Smith JSC and Smith OS (1989). The description and assessment of distances between inbred lines of maize: the utility of morphological, biochemical and genetic descriptors and a scheme for the testing of distinctiveness between inbred lines. Maydica, 34: 151-161. Topcu V (2014). Kendileme yoluyla saflaştırılmış bazı patlıcan hatlarının morfolojik ve moleküler karakterizasyonu. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Bahçe Bitkileri Anabilim Dalı, Yüksek Lisans Tezi, 82 s. (In Turkish) TUIK (2016). Turkish Statistical Institute Statistical Data (Accessed on 10.06.2017). Tümbilen Y (2007). Determination of genetic diversity between eggplant and its wild relatives. Master Thesis. The Graduate School of Engineering and Sciences of İzmir Institute of Technology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, 76 p. Tümbilen Y, Frary A, Mutlu S and Doganlar S (2011). Genetic diversity in Turkish eggplant (Solanum melongena) varieties as determined by morphological and molecular analyses. International Research Journal of Biotechnology, 2(1): 16-25. Zewdie Y and Zeven AC (1997). Variation in Yugoslavian hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) accessions. Euphytica, 97: 81-89.