Genetic and Morphological Variability in Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee from Different Agro Climatic Zones of India

Abstract

Brinjal or eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) also called aubergine is native to India and extensively grown in all South East Asian countries. In India, brinjal is extensively cultivated in an about 668000 ha with a production of 12.39 million ton, productivity stands at 18.5 MT/ha. Brinjal is the fourth most important vegetable crop grown in India and contributes to about 8.3 per cent of the total production of vegetables in the country. In India major brinjal growing states are West Bengal, Orissa, Karnataka, Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. Brinjal shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee is considered to be the most serious insect pest of brinjal and it has become a very serious production constraint in all brinjal growing countries including India and rated as the key pest of brinjal. Various control measures including the chemicals and other non-chemical approaches applied for the control of L. orbonalis have been modified and resulted in heterogeneity among the populations. newline