The experiment was carried out in plastic pots in a glasshouse, in Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil. Two commercial Solanum gilo Raddi cultivars (Comprido Verde-Claro and Esmeralda) and two introduced by IAC (Bernacci and Cardoso) were evaluated as to their vegetative development and fruit yield. The transplantings were produced in polystyrene trays with 128 cells and the transplant was done 40 days after sowing when the plants had four or five true leaves. The number of leaves, the height, leaf area and the fresh and dry shoot weight were evaluated 30, 60 and 90 days after transplant. Weekly, after fruiting began, the fruits were picked and their diameter, length and fresh biomass were measured. 'Esmeralda' and 'Comprido Verde-Claro' showed premature fruit production when compared to Bernacci and Cardoso cultivars. The latter cultivars yielded fruits for longer period of time. Cardoso cultivar produced a bigger number and a larger total fresh fruit biomass than the other genotypes. Bernacci and Cardoso cultivars of IAC germoplasm collection showed to be genotypes with potential to be used in genetic improvement, in familiar agriculture and in the system of support production and they are the traditional ways of jilo cultivation.
Solanaceae; vegetable; plant growth; yield
