SCREENING AND EVALUATION OF BRINJAL VARIETIES /CULTIVARS AGAINST ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE, MELOIDOGYNE INCOGNITA.

Out of one hundred fifty brinjal varieties/cultivars screened against root-knot nematode, only twenty varieties have shown resistant reaction with least gall index (1.1 to 2.0), fifty eight varieties/cultivars moderately resistant with gall index of 2.1 to 3.0, forty seven varieties were susceptible having gall index of 3.1 to 4.0 and twenty five were found highly susceptible with highest gall index of 4.1 to 5.0 against the test nematode. Plant height of brinjal varieties were decreased by 9.04, 18.48, and 23.50 per cent in varieties Pusa Kranti, Kantabaigan and Pusa Purple Long, respectively over un-inoculated control and the formation of giant cells and galls in the roots of both resistant and susceptible brinjal varieties had shown decrease of shoot weight (34.08 %) and root weight (31.67 %) of the susceptible brinjal cultivars, Pusa Purple Long which was different from other two resistant varieties showing resistance reaction against the test nematode.