Genotypic variation in fruit and seed yield components of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) under temperate agroecological conditions

This three-year field study evaluated fruit and seed yield components in three morphologically distinct eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) cultivars Domaci Srednje Dugi (DSD), Chinese Snake-shaped (CS), and Violeta Lunga di Romagna (VLR) under agroecological conditions of northern Serbia. Statistically highly significant differences were recorded among cultivars for all investigated traits, including plant height, fruit morphology, number of fruits per plant, fruit and seed yield per plant and per hectare, and the fruit-to-seed ratio. The VLR cultivar exhibited the highest fruit yield (33.5 t ha⁻¹), primarily due to its large fruit weight, while the DSD cultivar had the highest seed yield (420.0 kg ha⁻¹) and the most favorable fruit-to-seed ratio (67.9 g g⁻¹). Correlation analysis revealed strong interdependencies among yield traits. Fruit yield was positively associated with fruit weight and biomass per seed unit, while seed yield showed negative correlations with both plant height and fruit length. These findings suggest that genotypic variation is a key determinant of yield performance and biomass partitioning in eggplant, with implications for cultivar selection targeting either fruit production or seed efficiency.