Seasonal Incidence, Comparative Field Efficacy of Chemical Insecticides and their Economics for Management Brinjal Shoot and Fruit Borer Leucinodes orbanalis (guenee)

Brinjal is an important solanaceous vegetable of our country. In hot wet monsoon season when other vegetables are in short supply, it is practically the only vegetable that is available at an affordable price for rural and urban poor. Brinjal is often infested by a plethora of insect pests among which shoot and fruit borer is the most destructive and active throughout the year, particularly under high temperature and humid conditions causing great damage. The larvae bore into the young axillary shoots, causing wilting and enter the fruits unobtrusively, with small enhanced holes plugged with excreta. The presence of holes and larval excreta in tunnels made in the fruit favour the development of secondary infection by microorganisms as well as the entry of insect scavengers resulting in fruit decay (Kalawate and Dethe, 2012). Holes made by the first and second instar larvae partially heal International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 03 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com