'Sikat' and 'Sulit', New F-1 Hybrid Varieties of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Two new UPLB eggplant F-1 hybrids, 'Sikat' (NSIC 2015 Eg 05H) and 'Sulit' (NSIC 2015 Eg06H) were developed and approved for national commercial cultivation by the Bureau of Plant Industry-National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) in 2015. The eggplant F-1 hybrids were evaluated in 15 field trials across 6 sites in the Philippines under the National Cooperative Testing for Vegetable during CY 2011-2014. 'Sikat` and 'Sulit' demonstrated significantly higher than or comparable yield potential (total and marketable yield) with the commercial hybrid check in 14/15 trials for at least one cropping season. Marketable yield advantage of 'Sikat' and 'Sulit' over the check variety ranged from 32.35-133.05% and 7.47-55.99%, respectively. Morphologically,'Sikat' has erect to prostate growth habit and plant height at initial harvest of 46-96 cm. Fruits are medium size in length (15-22 cm), 3.32-4.37cm in diameter, purple and cylindrical with rounded apex. 'Sulit' has comparable plant height (43-92 cm) and growth habit to 'Sikat'. Fruits of 'Sulit' are longer (19-28 cm) than 'Sikat', 2.96-3.90 cm in diameter, purple and cylindrical with protruded fruit apex. Both hybrids were observed to have comparable field reactions to natural infestation of eggplant arthropod pests and field infection by bacterial wilt and fruit rot.