Evaluation of F₂ progeny families of brinjal three-way cross hybrids for tolerance to shoot and fruit borer

Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.), an important solanaceous vegetable crop cultivated across tropical and subtropical regions, is severely constrained by the Brinjal Shoot and Fruit Borer (BSFB), Leucinodes orbonalis, the most destructive pest of the crop, capable of causing yield losses exceeding 70%. The current study is focused on field screening of 28 segregating F₂ progeny families derived from complex three-way cross hybrids to identify transgressive segregants with inherent tolerance to BSFB damage. Correlation analysis revealed that total fruit yield per plant exhibited a strong positive association with marketable yield, total number of fruits per plant, and average fruit weight. Marketable yield showed a highly significant negative correlation with per cent fruit infestation (PFI) (r=-0.593), highlighting the direct economic impact of BSFB injury. Extensive phenotypic variability was observed, with PFI ranging from 0 to 75 per cent. Based on PFI and percent shoot infestation values, the genotypes were classified into distinct resistance categories, and a selection index was constructed using PFI and marketable yield with equal weightage. This approach enabled the identification of 50 superior lines combining higher marketable yield with reduced pest damage. These findings demonstrate that integrating PFI with key yield components can accelerate the development of high-yielding, BSFB-resistant brinjal cultivars.