Screening of different okra varieties/genotypes against shoot and fruit borer, Earias vittella (FAB.)

Introduction

Okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench], a member of the family Malvaceae, is one of the most extensively cultivated vegetable crops in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The crop is generally considered to have originated in tropical Africa (Yawalkar, 1973) [15] . In India, where it is popularly known as "bhindi" or "lady's finger," okra occupies an important place among vegetable crops because of its wide adaptability, rapid growth, high yield potential and excellent economic returns to farmers. Owing to its ease of cultivation, reliable productivity and wide adaptability to different agroclimatic conditions, okra is widely preferred by small and marginal farmers (Latha et al., 2019) [7] . However, the productivity of this crop is adversely affected by a number of insect pests, which are among the major biotic constraints limiting its growth, yield and quality (Mandal et al., 2007) [8] . Globally, okra is cultivated in several countries including India, Iran, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, Myanmar, Ghana, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Brazil and the southern United States (Swamy, 2023) [14] . India is the world's largest producer of okra, accounting for a substantial proportion of global production. During 2023-24, the crop was cultivated over an area of approximately 5.57 lakh hectares, yielding about 7.31 million tonnes with an average productivity of 13.12 tonnes ha⁻¹ (Anonymous, 2024) [2] . The major okra-producing states include Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. Among these, Gujarat ranks first in production, contributing nearly 15 per cent of the country's total okra output. Within the state, the crop is widely cultivated in districts such as Surat, Navsari, Tapi, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Anand, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Mehsana, Patan and Banaskantha (Anonymous, 2019) [1] . Okra crop is affected by various insect-pests at different growth stages. The okra crop is vulnerable to numerous insect and non-insect pests during all stages of its growth. Dhamdhere et al. (1984) [5] reported approximately 13 economically important pest species infesting the crop, whereas later investigations recorded more than 72 insect pest species associated with okra, emphasizing the diversity and severity of pest problems affecting its cultivation (Pal et al., 2013) [11] .

Evaluation of okra varieties or genotypes for their resistance to the shoot and fruit borer is an effective approach for identifying cultivars with lower levels of pest infestation. The cultivation of resistant or tolerant varieties can substantially reduce reliance on chemical insecticides, thereby lowering production costs, minimizing environmental contamination and promoting sustainable pest management. Nevertheless, comprehensive assessment of the available okra germplasm under local agro-climatic conditions is still limited, highlighting the need for systematic varietal screening.

Materials and methods

To study the susceptibility of ten different Kharif okra varieties/genotypes (Table 1) against Earias vittella, a field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2025 at the Instructional Farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The ten okra varieties/genotypes were sown during the third week of July 2025 in plots measuring 5.10 m × 2.40 m (gross plot) and 3.90 m × 1.80 m (net plot), maintaining a spacing of 60 × 30 cm between rows and plants. All the recommended agronomic practices were followed throughout the cropping period, except that no insecticidal sprays were applied, to allow the natural infestation of E. vittella for assessing the susceptibility of the varieties/genotypes. Data on the incidence of the shoot and fruit borer (Earias vittella) were collected at weekly intervals throughout the crop season. Five plants were selected randomly from each variety/genotype in every replication for recording observations. The total number of shoots and fruits, along with the number of infested shoots and fruits was recorded separately. The percentage of shoot and fruit infestation was determined by relating the number of infested plant parts to the total number of shoots or fruits observed. Fruits were harvested at each picking and the yield from each experimental plot was recorded. The recorded observations were statistically analysed to compare the response of the different okra varieties/genotypes and to identify those exhibiting lower susceptibility to E. vittella.

Categorization of Varieties/Genotypes

The different okra varieties/ genotypes were grouped into six categories of resistance to pest viz., highly susceptible, susceptible, moderately susceptible, moderately resistant, resistant and highly resistant based on parameters viz., per cent shoot damage, per cent fruit damage and fruit yield (Table 2). For this purpose, the mean value of individual genotype (X ̅ i) was compared with the mean value of all genotypes (X ̅ ) and standard deviation (SD). The retransformed data were used for computation of X ̅ , X ̅ i and SD in case of this parameter. The scale used for categorizing different varieties/ genotypes were as under (Avula, 2024).

Results and discussion

The present investigation entitled "Screening of different okra varieties/genotypes against shoot and fruit borer, Earias vittella (Fab.)" was conducted during the Kharif season of 2025 under field conditions at the Instructional Farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh. The results obtained are presented and discussed in relation to the findings of earlier studies conducted under different agroclimatic conditions.

The data on per cent shoot infestation presented in Table 5 and illustrated in Figure 1 revealed that none of the evaluated okra varieties/genotypes was free from infestation by Earias vittella. Significant differences in shoot infestation were observed among the varieties/genotypes. The lowest shoot infestation (18.85%) was recorded in VRO-6, which was statistically at par with GJO-3 (19.00%). The remaining varieties/ genotypes exhibited shoot infestation ranging from 20.60 to 23.48%. In ascending order of susceptibility, the varieties/genotypes were ranked as follows: VRO-6 (18.85%) < GJO-3 (19.00%) < GO-6 (20.60%) < GO-2 (20.65%) < Arka Anamika (20.71%) < JOL-21-08 (21.97%) < Arka Abhay (22.06%) < Pusa Savani (23.28%) < JOL-20-4 (23.42%) < JOL-21-02 (23.48%). The highest shoot infestation (23.48%) was recorded in JOL-21-02 which was statistically at par with JOL-20-4 (23.42%) and Pusa Savani (23.28%).

The data on per cent fruit infestation presented in Table 5 and illustrated in Figure 2 indicated that none of the evaluated okra varieties/genotypes was free from infestation by Earias vittella. Significant variation in fruit infestation was observed among the tested varieties/genotypes. The lowest fruit infestation (26.64%) was recorded in VRO-6, which was statistically at par with GO-2 (26.88%). The remaining varieties/genotypes exhibited fruit infestation ranging from 29.41 to 33.17%. Based on the level of fruit infestation, the varieties/genotypes were ranked in ascending order of susceptibility as follows: VRO-6 (26.64%) < GO-2 (26.88%) < GO-6 (29.41%) < GJO-3 (29.49%) < Arka Anamika (29.57%) < Arka Abhay (31.07%) < Pusa Savani (31.19%) < JOL-21-08 (32.99%) < JOL-21-02 (33.09%) < JOL-20-4 (33.17%). The highest fruit infestation (33.17%) was recorded in JOL-20-4, which was statistically at par with JOL-21-02 (33.09%) and JOL-21-08 (32.99%). Among the different varieties/genotypes VRO-6 found the best variety and recorded significantly higher (11818 kg/ha) fruit yield than rest of the varieties/genotypes and was statically at par with GJO-3 (11237 kg/ha). However, it was followed by GO-6 (10389 kg/ha) which was statically at par with GO-2 (10356 kg/ha) and Arka Anamika (9997 kg/ha). While, JOL-21-08 (8435 kg/ha) was statistically in line with Arka Abhay (8068 kg/ha). There was no statistical difference in fruit yield obtained from the genotype Pusa Savani (6954 kg/ha), JOL-21-4 (6819 kg/ha) and JOL-21-02 (6446 kg/ha). Among all screened varieties/genotypes JOL-21-02 recorded significantly the lowest (6446 kg/ha) fruit yield under the investigation.

Conclusion

The variety/genotype VRO-6 and GJO-3 identified as resistant (R) and varieties/genotypes Pusa Savani, JOL-20-4 and JOL-21-02 were categorized under susceptible (S) category against E. vittella infesting shoot of okra. While in case of fruit infestation the variety/genotype VRO-6 and GO-2 found to be resistant (R) and varieties/genotypes JOL-21-08, JOL-21-02 and JOL-20-4 were categorized under susceptible (S) category against E. vittella in okra.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgmentsThe authors thank the Director of Research, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, Gujarat, India, and the Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, Gujarat, India, for providing the necessary facilities to carry out this experiment.

References

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