Biophysical Characters of Brinjal Plant Governing Resistance to 5hoot and Fruit Borer, Leucinodes orbonalis

Studies were conducted to see the effect of biophysical anatomical characters of plants on the infestation of shoot and fruit borer on different brinjal cultivars. It was observed that plant height had no effect on shoot borer infestation while diameter of shoot pith had positive significant correlation. Anatomical characters of shoots in different varieties of brinjal showed that less susceptible varieties like Pusa Purple Long and Pusa Purple Cluster had more lignified tissues with compact vascular bundles. The shape and colour of fruits of brinjal varieties screened had no clear cut impact on the preference of fruit borer, whereas, length of fruits had significant negative correlation with the fruit borer infestation. The fruit diameter had significant positive correlation with the fruit borer infestation. Significant positive correlation was also found between per cent infestation of fruit and thickness of pericarp and mesocarp of brinjal varieties screened. The increase in size of pericarp and mesocarp enhanced the infestation of fruit borer. The varieties having compact seed rings with closely arranged seeds in mesocarp had low degree of fruit infestation, whereas, highly susceptible varieties neither had compact seed rings nor closely arranged seeds in the mesocarp.