Brinjal Aphid: Symptoms of Damage and Management

Brinjal aphid: A Harmful Pest of Eggplant

Brinjal aphid: Symptoms of damage and control measures

What is aphid?

Aphid is a small and soft bodied insect from the family aphidideae. It is a sap sucking insect.

Aphid attack causes leaf curling in eggplant

About aphid of eggplant (brinjal)

Scientific name	Aphis gosypii and Myzus persicae
Common name	Cotton aphid (कपास का माहो)
Major host plants	Crops of cucurbitaceae, rutaceae, and malvaceae.
Minor host plants	Tropical and temperate regions of the world.
Occurance	Tropical and temperate regions of the world where brinjal brinjal is grown

List of contents
(01). Identification
(02). Mode of attack or nature of damage
(03). Symptom
(04). Life cycle
(05). Damages
(06). Favorable conditions
(07). Control measures

Also read: Growing Tomato, Brinjal and Chilli in Low Temperature

(01). Identification

Colour: It is a yellowish green or greenish brown tiny pest.

Nature: The pest is polyphagous in nature. It means, it attacks on a wide range of hosts. For example, it can attack on other solanaceous crops such as tomato and chili.

(02). Mode of attack or nature of damage

The tiny pests are found in colonies of hundreds on abaxial leaf surface and tender shoots.

Both nymphs and adults suck cell sap from tender leaves, which gradually became curled and fade, and ultimately dry up.

(03). Symptom

Leaves become curled and fade.
Ultimately leaves dry up.
Black sooty moulds developed on honeydews.

(04). Life cycle

Life span of female: 20 days. A female can lay about 85 nymphs. Favorable temperature for nymph ranges from 10°C to 30°C. Nymphs mature in 20 days.

Adult nymphs migrate to new hosts during autumn. And lifecycle continues.

Management of brinjal (eggplant) aphid

Also read: Basics of Brinjal (Eggplant) Grafting

(05). Damages

Curling of leaves.
These pests are known to spread virus diseases such as mosaic.
Leaves dry up.
Plants are stunted.
Growth and development of plant is restricted.
Reduced photosynthesis due to the development of honeydews.

(06). Favorable conditions

Shady place: Incidence is severe in shady situations.
Cool and moist weather: Incidence is more in cool and moist climate.
Shade house condition.

(07). Control measures

Tolerant varieties: Grow tolerant varieties.

Also read: Best wild brinjal plant species for grafting

Biological control: Ladybird beetle

Trap crop: Grow cotton, okra or hibiscus (gudhal) around the main crop.

Grow resistant varieties. Example: Plant developed from S-5. S-5 is the source of resistance against aphids of eggplant (brinjal).

Pick the grubs, adults, and eggs from the leaves in early stage of attack and destroy them.

Chemical control: Apply 0.05% monocrotophos or 0.2% carbaryl.