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 S. melongena in Banda district. However, the concomitant infestation of O. aegyptiaca with O. cernua and/ or O. ramosa in brinjal plants was not noticed. Moreover some of brinjal fields showed the infestation of O. aegyptiaca with either O. cernua or O. ramose. The infestation of O. aegyptiaca in brinjal plant was recorded in all the twenty examined localities. The highest and lowest disease incidence in brinjal plants was found in Chilla and Gazipur, respectively. Whereas, the maximum and minimum frequency of occurrence of O. aegyptiaca was found in Kurrahi and Palhari. Out of twenty localities, the infestation of O. cernua in brinjal was observed in fourteen localities. The greatest disease incidence and frequency of occurrence of O. cernua were recorded Jakhni and Gazipur. Whereas, the lowest disease incidence and frequency of occurrence of O. cernua were noticed in Hardauli and Jamwara, respectively. Moreover, the infestation of O. ramosa in brinjal plants 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 and Lakhanpur, respectively. However, maximum frequency of occurrence of O. ramosa was found in Jaspura and the minimum in Mahua. 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.