New sources of Solanum germplasm of the Leptostemonum clade preserved and used in the breeding program of the Plant Genetic Resources Bank Buzău, Romania

Abstract

The cultivation of aubergine is widespread in Romania. It is one of the most consumed vegetables in our country, especially in autumn. It can be found in various traditional Romanian dishes - zacusca, aubergine salad - but also in other popular dishes. There is a high demand from consumers but also from producers for new varieties of aubergine, which has contributed to the intensification of acclimatization and breeding work on the Solanum genus at PGRB Buzău. In order to diversify the complex of eggplants cultivated and consumed in our country, PGRB has introduced new lines of Solanum macrocarpon and Solanum aethiopicum into the core collection. They have shown a good capacity for acclimatization to the pedoclimatic conditions of our country, obtaining very good results in terms of growth and development, and food and seed production capacity. Solanum macrocarpon and Solanum aethiopicum have been cultivated in the experimental fields of PGRB Buzău since 2019, opening new horizons in terms of enriching the assortment of Solanum cultivated in Romania.