Vol. 9, Issue 2, Part H (2025)

Brinjal (Solanum melongena) holds substantial place among the Solanaceae crops cultivated widely in India. It is attacked by various insects, but the primary culprit inflicting severe economic damage is Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). An experiment carried out at S.K.N. Agriculture University, Jobner (Rajasthan) India during the Kharif seasons of 2019 and 2020 year sought to unveil the riddles surrounding brinjal varieties’ susceptibility levels to shoot and fruit borer. None of the ten brinjal varieties tested, exhibited absolute immunity to L. orbonalis, thus underscoring their varying resistance capacities. Variety, Pant Samrat and Pusa Purple Long emerged as least susceptible, whereas, BR-112, BR-5, and GJB-2 positioned at opposite spectrum-highly susceptible. Detailed laboratory studies on pest biology revealed prolonged larval and pupal stage and reduced fecundity on resistant variety (Pant Samrat) compared to susceptible ones (BR-112). These findings underscore the potential of deploying resistant brinjal varieties as a sustainable pest management strategy.