Planting date of garden egg <i>Solanum gilo</i> and egg fruit and shoot borer <i>Leucinode sorbonalis</i> infestation

Abstract

The effect of planting date on the infestation of the garden egg Solanum gila by the egg fruit and shoot borer Leucinode sorbonalis was investigated in the planting season of 2006 and 2007. Three sets (each set representing a planting date/ treatment) of Solanum gilo seedlings with 3 replicates each were raised and transplanted on 14 x 3.5 m plots each in both years and maintained following normal agronomic practices. There were nine plots in all arranged in a 3 x 3 Randomized Complete Block Design. Data on number of shoots and fruits infested per plot/week were collected, percentage infestation estimated, transformed and subjected to Analysis of Variance. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in percentage shoot infestation in all 3 planting dates in 2006, while in 2007 the lowest shoot infestation (14.58 %) recorded in the third planting was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than 23.98 % recorded in the first planting. Fruit infestation in the third planting in 2006 was significantly higher (p < 0.05) (45.98 %) than 40.57 % and 42.60 % recorded in the 2nd and 3rd planting respectively. In 2007, planting date did not significantly (p > 0.05) affect fruit infestation.