GENETIC DIVERSITY AND POPULATION STRUCTURE OF WILD/WEEDY EGGPLANT (SOLANUM INSANUM, SOLANACEAE) IN SOUTHERN INDIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION

摘要

Premise of the study: Crop wild relatives represent important genetic resources for crop improvement and the preservation of native biodiversity. Eggplant (Solanum melongena), known as brinjal in India, ranks high among crops whose wild gene pools are underrepresented in ex situ collections and warrant urgent conservation. Knowledge of outcrossing rates and patterns of genetic variation among wild populations can aid in designing strategies for both in situ and ex situ preservation.