EVALUATION OF SOME COMMONLY AVAILABLE BRINJAL VARIETIES AND HYBRIDS AGAINST LEUCINODES ARBONALIS

Some commonly used varieties and hybrids of brinjal were evaluated against sh oot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee during late kharif 2015-16 in insectary premises, Department of Entomology, S.V. Agricultural college, Tirupati. Eleven varieties and hybrids of brinjal were tested against shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis. The shoot damage was ranged from 4.06 to 15. 37 per cent in different cultivars. The lower shoot damage was recorded in Arka Neelakanth (4.06%), CVK (4.66%), Shyamala (5.30%), PHB-909 (6.06%) and Arka Keshav (6.46%). The mean fruit damage comparatively was less in hybrid Shyamala, Arka Neelakanth. In these two lines, on number basis, the mean per cent damaged fruits were 23 to 26 per cent. On weight basis also, similar results were obtained (22 to 23 % mean fruit damage). The highest mean fruit damage was recorded in CVK variety (65.83% on number basis and 59.55% on weight basis) followed by Ranjitha hybrid and Arka Kusumakar variety (58 to 59% and 53 to 57% on number and weight basis respectively) at 100 days after transplanting. In remaining lines also, above 35 pe r cent fruit damage was recorded. Plant height, number of branches, leaves and leaf area did not show any impact on the damage by L. orbonalis. Density of trichomes was found to have negative impact on L. orbonalis. The highest number of trichomes (201 per cm2 leaf area) was recorded on Shyamala. The lowest were in Arka Kusumakar which was highly susceptible one. However, in many of the tested lines, above 150 trichomes/cm2 leaf area were noted.