Field Efficacy of Certain Chemicals and Neem Products against Shoot and Fruit Borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee) on Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) in Trans Yamuna Region of Allahabad

Vegetable cultivation is one of the most profitable and dynamic branches of agriculture. It has become an important source of income for both farmers and field labours, serving as a vehicle for reducing poverty in rural areas. Brinjal (Solanum melongena Linnaeus) also known as eggplant is referred as the “King of vegetables” originated from India and now grown as a vegetable throughout the tropical, sub-tropical and warm temperate areas of the world. It is a most important vegetable in the Indian Subcontinent that accounts for almost 50% of the world’s area under its cultivation area under its cultivation. However, in India, the area is estimated as 7.5% of the total area of vegetables with 8% of the total production of vegetables (Roy et al., 2016). Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is one of the major vegetables in India extensively grown under diverseagro-climatic conditions throughout the year. Due to its nutritive value, consisting of minerals like iron, phosphorous, calcium and vitamins like A, B and C, unripe fruits are used primarily as vegetable in the country (Singh et al., 2016). Brinjal is one of the most important solanaceous vegetables in SouthEast Asian countries. The major brinjal International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 9 (2017) pp. 1320-1327 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com