Variation, correlation and heritability of interest characters for selection of African eggplant

The eggplant ( Solanum aethiopicum ) is the species of the Solanum genus, whose geographical distribution is broadest. It is grown throughout tropical Africa, and includes three groups of cultivars commonly called African or indigenous eggplant. Kumba group or “bitter eggplant” is an important Solanaceous vegetable crop in Burkina Faso. The objective of this study was to determine genetic variability, strength of association and level of heritability among agronomic interest traits. Phenotypic and genotypic variations and heritability of 14 traits were estimated in 61 accessions at Institut de Développement Rural (IDR), Gampela in Burkina Faso. High phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were observed for fruit diameter, number of seeds per fruit, fruit weight, leaf blade length and width, and height at flowering. In addition, genetic and phenotypic variances were high for the number of seed, fruit weight, plant height at flowering and days to 50% flowering. High heritability estimates were recorded for all traits. Fruit weight showed a positive association with fruit diameter and thickness. The fifty percent flowering cycle registered positive correlations with plant height and fruit diameter. Fruit number showed a negative association with fruit weight and diameter, and 50% flowering cyle.

Selection of polyvalent bacteriophages infecting Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis

Background: Ideally, bacteriophages of pathogenic bacterial hosts should be polyvalent to be able to replicate in an alternative nonpathogenic bacterium. Thus, accidental infection by the original host can be avoided when bacteriophage lysates are used in biocontrol protocols. Results: From 15 wastewater samples, collected at different sites in the V Region in Chile, we selected three bacteriophages (FC, FP, and FQ) capable of productively infecting Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis. By transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation, the bacteriophages were found to belong to the order Caudoviridae. Molecular analyses indicated that FC, FP, and FQ contained double-stranded DNA genomes, of sizes similar to bacteriophage P22, and distinct recognition sites for the restriction endonucleases HaeIII and HindIII. Assays of host range revealed that the bacteriophages were polyvalent and thus capable of infecting different strains of Escherichia coli and other serovars of Salmonella . Conclusion: We have isolated newbacteriophages of the serovar Choleraesuiswith various potential applications in relation to this pathogenic bacterium.