The Effect of Combining Repellent Intercrops on the Host-Finding, Ovipositional Preference, and Damage Potential of Eggplant Fruit and Shoot Borer, Leucinodes orbonalis Guen´ee

Abstract

The eggplant fruit and shoot borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guen´ee), also known as EFSB, is anotorious major insect pest of eggplants. Researchers have been striving to find effective management strategies to reduce the population of this pest and achieve higher yields with minimal or no insecticide application. This study aimed to investigate the influence of intercropping eggplants with different repellent plants as a means to mitigate EFSB infestation, considering the heavy reliance on insecticides in eggplant production. The experiment followed a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with six treatments replicated three times.The treatments included lemongrass, oregano, marigold, a combination of repellent plants (lemongrass + oregano + marigold), farmers’ practice (methomyl), and the control (sole eggplant). Data analysis was conducted using analysis of variance, and the differences across treatment means were calculated using Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference. The results revealed that intercropping eggplants with marigold, oregano, and lemongrass exhibited repellent effects on EFSB moths, leading to a significant reduction in the percentage of shoot damage. These findings suggest the potential utilization of intercropping with repellent plants as a more environmentally friendly approach, reducing the need for insecticide usage and potentially increasing farmers’ income.