MSc

The present investigation on evaluation of yield and resistance to
shoot and fruit borer of brinjal genotypes was conducted at the Department
of Plant Breeding and Genetics, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, during
the period 2000 - 2001. Data for the study was collected from two field
experiments.
For the evaluation of yield and its component characters of the 25
brinjal genotypes, a field experiment was conducted in randomised block
design with three replications. Analysis of variance revealed significant
difference among the genotypes for all the characters studied.
Grouping of genotypes revealed that the genotypes VI (Swetha), V2
(Surya) and V18 (Pusa Purple Cluster) were better as far as yield per plant,
number of fruits per plant and number of harvests were concerned. Pus a
Kranti (V 17) had better fruit length, girth and weight.
High phenotypic coefficient of variation and genotypic coefficient
of variation were observed for yield per plant, number of fruits per plant,
number of harvests, number of leaves per plant and number of secondary
branches per plant. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance
was also observed for these characters.
At genotypic level, yield per plant showed high positive correlation
with number of harvests, number of fruits per plant and fruit weight. The
path analysis showed that number of harvests, fruit weight and number of

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fruits per plant were the characters having high direct effect on yield per
plant.
The genotypes VI8 (Pusa Purple Cluster) followed by VI7 (Pusa
Kranti), V21 (Brinjal Suphal), VI (Swetha) and V16 (Venganoor local)
were having the highest index values.
For screening of brinjal genotypes for resistance to shoot and fruit
borer, a field experiment was laid out in randomised block design with two
replications. All the 25 genotypes were significantly different for all the
damage parameters.
The genotypes V3 (CO-2), V17 (Pusa Kranti), V19 (Ark a
Kusumkar) and V24 (Manjarigota local) came under the less susceptible
category for all the damage parameters viz., percentage of plants infested,
percentage of shoots infested and percentage of damaged fruits.
The correlation studies on damage parameters revealed high positive
correlation of number of bore holes per fruit with percentage of plants
infested and percentage of shoots infested, while these damage parameters
did not show correlation with percentage of damaged fruits. Percentage of
damaged fruits showed high correlation with number of larvae per fruit.
Cluster analysis based on different damage parameters and the yield
obtained from the yield evaluation experiment enabled to group the
genotypes into five clusters. The clusters Il and III were having the less
susceptible genotypes viz., V3 (CO-2), V 17 (Pusa Kranti), V19 (Arka
Kusumkar) and V24 (Manjarigota local) would be useful as parents for

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developing shoot and fruit borer resistant varieties. Cluster IV had the high
yielding genotypes viz., VI (Swetha) and V 18 (Pusa Purple Cluster). So
hybridization programmes using genotypes from these three clusters could
lead to the production of high yielding varieties with high level of shoot
and fruit borer resistance.
Based on the superior yield performance and low level of
susceptibility to shoot and fruit borer, the genotype VI7 (Pusa Kranti) was
found to be suitable for cultivation in borer endemic areas. Genotypes
which showed high yield and those showed less susceptibility to shoot and
fruit borer attack could be used in developing better yielding varieties with
resistance to shoot and fruit borer.