Assessment of Host Plant Resistance in Brinjal against Major Sucking Pests

Abstract

Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide and is attacked by several insect pests. An experiment was conducted to screen 20 brinjal genotypes against the major sucking pests, namely aphids (Aphis gossypii), jassids (Amrasca biguttula biguttula), and whitefly (Bemisia tabaci). The results indicated that the genotypes NDB-23-10 and NDB-23-7 recorded the lowest infestation levels. Resistance was largely associated with dense trichomes and higher phenolic content. The identified lines can be used in hybridization programmes to develop cultivars resistant to major sucking pests of brinjal, thereby reducing reliance on chemical pesticides for pest management.