Genetic Variability and Viral Disease Assessment in Solanum SPP

Garden egg (Solanium gilo) is highly adaptable as a potential crop in the sub-Saharan African Tropics region for food security purposes. Garden egg germplasm seed evaluation and characterization was carried out from the nation wide seed collection to expand the National Horticultural Research Institute(NIHORT) genetic base for Solanum. The field layout was randomized complete block design with five replications. The treatments were: Solanum gilo, S. marocarpon, and the local garden egg. Treatments were randomly allocated per replication. There was a significantly phenotypic difference in the S. gilo variety. This difference was observed in the plant spinyness, deep purple coloration of stem, leaf and petiole. Our observation revealed significant tolerance to vienal mottle mosaic virus (VMMV) in the purple coloured compared to the green garden egg up to harvesting stages. We observed that inducement of purplish coloration in the garden egg might improve tolerance to VMMV and thereby increase yield through further breeding programmes.