Screening of okra cultivars and genotypes for their resistance to fruit borers in middle Gujarat

Abstract

The study was conducted during summer and kharif, 2016 to know the infestation of fruit borers, Farias vittella (Fab.) and Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) Hardwick in okra at Main Vegetable Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Anand (Gujarat). Total ten genotypes and cultivars viz., GO-2, GAO-5, GJO-3, Pusa Sawani, Parbhani Kranti, AOL-13-88, AOL-12-55, AOL-13-90, AOL-13-137 and AOL-13-136 were selected for screening. Among the ten okra genotypes/cultivars screened for their resistance to fruit borers, none of the okra genotypes/cultivars found highly resistant. The cultivars GAO-5 and GJO-3 were found resistant. Whereas, AOL-12-55 and AOL-13-88 as moderately resistant, while AOL-13-137, AOL-13-90, GO-2 and AOL-13-136 were categorized as moderately susceptible during summer. The same trend was followed during kharif except AOL-13-137, it was found moderately resistant. The correlation between fruit damage and morphological characters showed that plant height, fruit wall thickness and trichome density on fruits were observed significantly negatively correlated. Maximum fruit yield of okra was harvested from the cultivars GAO-5 and GJO-3 during both seasons.