Brinjal/Eggplant
Crop Overview
Brinjal/Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is the most common and extensively grown vegetable all over the country (0.39 m ha) and occupy an important place in the food market. Due to tender and supple nature of the plant and cultivation is done under high moisture & input regimes, brinjal is more prone to pest attack and at a conservative estimate cause about 35-40% losses. The management of following pests and disease are most serious from quarantine point of views for exports and residue free harvests of brinjal fruits.
Major Pests & Damage
Shoot and fruit borer
(Leucinodes orbonalis)
White Fly
(Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius)
Mealybug
(Coccidohystrix insolita)
Aphid
(Myzus persicae Sulzar)
Red Spider Mites
(Tetranychus spp.)
Jassids
(Empoasca devastans)
Thrips
(Thrips palmi Karny)
Major Diseases
Bacterial Wilt
(Ralstonia solanacearum)
Bacterial wilt symptoms on leaf surface Wilting, stunting, yellowing of the foliage and finally collapse of the entire plant are the characteristic symptoms of the disease.
Phomopsis blight
(Phomopsis vexans)
Phomopsis blight can cause disease on eggplant leaves, stems, and fruit. Lesions often become numerous and cover large areas of leaves. Severely infected leaves become torn, yellow and wither. Small black dots, the fungal fruiting bodies called pycnidia, are often apparent on older leaf, stem, and fruit lesions.
Root Knot Nematodes
(Mycoplasma/Phytoplasma)
The root knot nematode damage is more harmful to seedling than to older plants. These nematodes infest the roots and cause root galls. The affected plant becomes stunted and the leaves show chlorotic symptoms.
Verticillium wilt
(Verticillium dahlia)
Wilting of the foliage followed by collapse of the entire plant. The wilting is characterized by dropping and slight yellowing of leaves and vascular discolouration. Drying of the plants at the time of flowering and fruiting are also characteristic to the disease condition.
Little leaf of brinjal
(Phytoplasma (MLO))
In the beginning young leaves show chlorosis followed by axillary bud proliferation. Diseased plants show extreme reduction in size of leaves and node, giving a bushy appearance. In heavily infected plants, flower and fruit setting is negligible.
Major Diseases
Bacterial Wilt
(Ralstonia solanacearum)
Bacterial wilt symptoms on leaf surface Wilting, stunting, yellowing of the foliage and finally collapse of the entire plant are the characteristic symptoms of the disease.
Phomopsis blight
(Phomopsis vexans)
Phomopsis blight can cause disease on eggplant leaves, stems, and fruit. Lesions often become numerous and cover large areas of leaves. Severely infected leaves become torn, yellow and wither. Small black dots, the fungal fruiting bodies called pycnidia, are often apparent on older leaf, stem, and fruit lesions.
Root Knot Nematodes
(Mycoplasma/Phytoplasma)
The root knot nematode damage is more harmful to seedling than to older plants. These nematodes infest the roots and cause root galls. The affected plant becomes stunted and the leaves show chlorotic symptoms.
Verticillium wilt
(Verticillium dahlia)
Wilting of the foliage followed by collapse of the entire plant. The wilting is characterized by dropping and slight yellowing of leaves and vascular discolouration. Drying of the plants at the time of flowering and fruiting are also characteristic to the disease condition.
Little leaf of brinjal
(Phytoplasma (MLO))
In the beginning young leaves show chlorosis followed by axillary bud proliferation. Diseased plants show extreme reduction in size of leaves and node, giving a bushy appearance. In heavily infected plants, flower and fruit setting is negligible.
Nutritional Deficiency
Zinc
Sulphur
