Effect of Spacing and Fertigation on Incidence of Shoot and Fruit Borer (Leucinodes Orbonalis Guenee) in Eggplant (Solanum Melongena L) Grafts

Abstract

Shoot and fruit borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee) is an important pest responsible for deterioration of quality and quantity of eggplant fruits. Ecofriendly practices such as adoption of proper plant spacing and fertigation level can be used in the management of this pest. For this, investigations were carried out in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) grafted onto Solanum torvum Swartz to evaluate the effect of spacing and fertigation levels on shoot and fruit borer infestation. A strip plot design was adopted with four levels of spacing (1 m x 1 m, 2 m x 1 m, 1.5 m x 1.5 m and 0.6 m x 0.6 m) and three levels of fertigation: 75, 100 and 125 % RDF (Recommended Dose of Fertilizer) replicated four times. After six months, the plants were pruned to obtain the ratoon crop which was maintained for four months. The lowest shoot borer (8.61 and 7.86 per cent) and fruit borer (9.66 and 8.20 per cent) infestations were recorded under widest plant spacing as compared to the closest; while the lowest fertigation level (75 per cent RDF) recorded the lowest shoot borer (7.74 and 7.01 per cent) and fruit borer (8.91 and 8.21 per cent) incidence in main and ratoon crops, respectively. It can be concluded that the shoot and fruit borer infestation reduces with increased spacing and with decreased nutrition level. Keywords