SCREENING BRINJAL CULTIVARS AGAINST ROOT KNOT NEMATODE, Meloidogyne spp.

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the net house of the Department of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh with thirteen brinjal cultivars namely, BARI Begun-I, BARI Begun-4, BARI Begun-5, BARI Begun-7, BARI Begun-9, BARI Begun-10, Tobla, , Irri, Deshi, Mollika, Khotkhotia, Singnath and Uttara were screened against root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) with a view to select resistant varieties against the pest. The highest and the lowest shoot length was found in BARI begun-7 (74.20cm) and Khotkhotia (8.40cm) respectively. The highest and the lowest fresh, shoot weight was found in BARI begun-7 (118.30g) and Deshi (2.30g). The highest dry shoot weight was found in BARI begun-7 (30.76g), and the lowest was in Deshi (0.60g). The highest root length was found in BARI begun-7 (27.60cm) and the lowest was in Deshi (7.60). The highest gall index on a 0-10 scale (Bridge and Page, 1980) was found in Deshi (9.00) and the lowest was recorded in Uttara (2.60). The highest number of egg masses per root system was found in BARI begun-10 (438.40) and the lowest was recorded in Uttara (80.80). Number of eggs/egg mass was the highest in Shingnath (503.20) and the lowest in Mollika (180.10). The highest total number of eggs/root system was found in BARI begun-5 (66.81 x102) and the lowest was in BARI begun-10 (12.94 x102). Number of J2/4 kg soil was the highest in BARI begun-7 (28.00) and the lowest was in Uttara (12.80). The highest number of nemic population/pot was found in BARI begun-4 (31.64 x103) and the lowest was in Uttara (13.10 x10\ The highest number of reproduction factor was found in BARI begun -4 (31.64) and the lowest was recorded in Uttara (8.24). The highest number of galls in root system was found in Deshi (45.59) and the lowest was found in Uttara (9.81). Brinjal varieties showed variability in their response to Meloidogyne spp. infestation on 0-4 scale (Salawu, 1978). Deshi, BARI Begun-4, BARI Begun-10, Tobla, BARI Begun-7, BARI Begun-9, BARI Begun-5, Irri were highly susceptible with grading 4 while Khotkhotia, BARI begun -1 and Shingnath were categorized as susceptible with grading 3. Uttara was found to be moderately resistant with grading 2. None of the brinjal cultivars were found to be resistant to root knot nematode.