Screening of solanaceous wild relatives for graft affinity with eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), an important solanaceous crop in tbe world, is susceptible to soilbome bio-agressors, the main of which, in temperate areas, being Verticillium wilt (Verticillium sp.) and root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.). Grafting on resistant rootstock is an alternative rnethod to soil disinfection. In France, the generalization of grafting spread over the 2000's. After several years of utilization of resistant tornato rootstocks for eggplant production, and to a lesser extent, of Solanum torvum rootstocks, damaging wilt-like-symptoms are often observed by growers. Renee it is necessary to identify alternative rootstocks, able to sustain the soil pathogenic cornplex by a combination of vigor and genetic resistance. However, graft affinity between potential rootstocks and eggplant (scion) is the fust step to investigate. Solanaceae family offers a wide choice of candidate rootstock species. The objective ofthis research was to identify solanaceous species baving a good graft affinity with eggplant, Screening of a wide set of genetic resources was carried out at the Centre Technique Interprofessionnel des Fruits et Légumes -Ctifl- (Lanxade and Balandran center) in collaboration with INRA. Experirnents were carried out during a five years period (2011-2015). Several So/anum species displayed a good graft affinity with eggplant and are candidates for further agronomie evaluation