SURVEY OF PARASITIC WEEDS (OROBANCHE SPP.) ASSOCIATED WITH BRINJAL (Solanum melongena) IN BANDA DISTRICT OF UTTAR PRADESH INDIA.

Three Orobanche spp. viz., O. aegyptiaca, O. cernua and O. ramosa were found to be associated with brinjal (Solanum melongena) in Banda district, India. However, the concomitant infestation of O. aegyptiaca with O. cernua and/or O. ramosa in brinjal crop was not noticed. Moreover, some of brinjal fields showed the infestation of O. aegyptiaca with either O. cernua or O. ramosa. The infestation of O. aegyptiaca in brinjal planting was recorded in all the 20 examined localities. The highest (59.28%) and lowest (14.44%) weed incidence in brinjal fields was found in Chilla and Gazipur, respectively. The maximum (78.57%) and minimum (28.33%) frequency of occurrence of O. aegyptiaca was found in Kurrahi and Palhari. The infestation of O. cernua in brinjal crop was observed in 14 localities, where the greatest disease incidence and frequency of occurrence of O. cernua were recorded Jakhni (29.29%) and Gazipur (38.89%). Whereas, the lowest disease incidence and frequency of occurrence of O. cernua was noticed in Hardauli (7.05%) and Jamwara (16.67%), respectively. Moreover, the infestation of O. ramosa in brinjal crop was found in only nine localities of Banda district. The highest and lowest disease incidence due to O. ramosa in brinjal was recorded in Gazipur (28.33%) and Lakhanpur (5.29%), respectively. However, the maximum frequency of occurrence of O. ramosa was found in Jaspura (35.19%) and the minimum in Mahua (14.81%). In entire Banda district, 68.10% of the surveyed fields were infested with broomrapes. The highest disease incidence and frequency of occurrence of O. aegyptiaca were recorded in brinjal followed by O. cernua and O. ramosa. Thus, it is concluded that the brinjal crop cultivated in Banda district is under threat to varying degrees by Orobanche spp. infestation and there is great potential for the parasites to disseminate and infest new cultivated fields in absence of farmers' knowledge of problem and lack of effective management programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]