Brinjal Pests and Diseases: Identification, Symptoms and Effective Management

 1. Major insect pests of brinjal

1. Brinjal shoot and fruit borer (Leucinodes orbonalis)

     

• Symptoms: Larvae bore into tender shoots, causing them to droop and dry. They also bore into fruits, leaving holes and frass, making the fruits unmarketable.
• Chemical control: To manage shoot and fruit borer, apply insecticides such as chlorantraniliprole, emamectin benzoate or indoxacarb when fresh shoot damage appears and during early fruit infestation; rotate insecticide groups to reduce resistance.
  
• Biological control: Release Trichogramma chilonis to parasitise borer eggs and use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) formulations against young larvae. Regularly collect and destroy infested shoots and fruits.
  Katyayani Bt Bio Larvicide Powder | Bio Pesticide — Bio-Pesticides – Khethari  Larvex Cutworm Control by Khethari 

2. Jassid or leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula biguttula)
     

• Symptoms: Nymphs and adults suck sap from the undersides of leaves, causing yellowing and upward curling of leaf margins. Severe infestation produces brown, scorched leaf edges known as hopper burn.
• Chemical control: To control jassids, apply a suitable insecticide such as thiamethoxam or imidacloprid when populations begin increasing and fresh leaf-curling symptoms appear
  
• Biological control: Conserve spiders, lacewings and other natural enemies, and use neem-based products such as azadirachtin as part of an integrated management programme.

Dr.Eliminator Insecticide 250 ml — Insecticide – Khethari 

3. Hadda beetle or 28-spotted ladybird beetle (Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata)

   

• Symptoms: Adults and grubs scrape the leaf surface, leaving skeletonised patches. Heavy feeding creates a net-like appearance, followed by leaf drying and reduced plant vigour.
• Chemical control: To manage hadda beetle, apply an insecticide such as azadirachtin-based botanical insecticide or apply a foliar spray of Cypermethrin 25% EC (60–80 ml/acre) or Imidacloprid 17.8% SL (25 g a.i./ha) to eliminate feeding grubs and adults, following professional recommendations and product labels.  
• Biological control: Collect and destroy beetles, grubs and yellow egg clusters from leaf undersides. Conserve predatory insects and use neem-based treatments to suppress young stages.

4. Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)

• Symptoms: Small white insects cluster on the undersides of leaves and suck plant sap, causing yellowing and weakening. Honeydew deposits may encourage sooty mould, and whiteflies can transmit certain plant viruses.
• Chemical control: To control whiteflies, apply insecticides such as thiamethoxam or imidacloprid when populations increase, ensuring thorough coverage of leaf undersides and rotating insecticide groups.KATYAYANI DOCTER | THIAMETHOXAM 30% FS | CHEMICAL INSECTICIDE — Ins... – Khethar
  
• Biological control: Conserve Encarsia and Eretmocerus parasitoids, lacewings and ladybird beetles. Yellow sticky traps and neem-based products can support population monitoring and suppression. Dr.Eliminator Insecticide 250 ml — Insecticide – Khethari

5. Aphids (Myzus persicae and other species)

• Symptoms: Aphids form colonies on tender shoots and leaf undersides, causing curling, yellowing and stunted growth. Honeydew can promote sooty mould, while some aphid species transmit plant viruses.
• Chemical control: To manage aphids, apply thiamethoxam or another suitable aphicide when colonies begin expanding on young growth.
• Biological control: Conserve ladybird beetles, hoverfly larvae, lacewings and parasitoid wasps. Neem-based products can help suppress aphid populations. 
  
  Dr. Eliminator

6. Red spider mite (Tetranychus spp.)

• Symptoms: Mites feed mainly on leaf undersides, causing fine yellow speckling that develops into bronzing and drying. Fine webbing may become visible during severe infestations, especially in hot, dry weather.
• Chemical control: To control spider mites, apply a suitable acaricide such as fenazaquin or spiromesifen when mite populations and leaf damage begin increasing.KATYAYANI OZIL | SPIROMESIFEN 22.9 % SC | CHEMICAL INSECTICIDE — In... – Khethari 
• Biological control: Conserve predatory mites and other natural enemies, avoid unnecessary broad-spectrum insecticides, and remove heavily infested leaves where practical. Dr.Eliminator Insecticide 250 ml — Insecticide – Khethari 

7. Mealybug (Phenacoccus solenopsis)

• Symptoms: White, cotton-like colonies develop on stems, leaf joints and tender shoots. Sap feeding causes leaf curling, stunted growth and honeydew accumulation, which can lead to sooty mould.
• Chemical control: To manage mealybugs, apply a suitable insecticide such as buprofezin or spirotetramat when young colonies first appear, ensuring coverage of infested plant parts. Katyayani QUINEX | Quinalphos 25% ec | Chemical Insecticide — Insec... – Khethari 
• Biological control: Conserve parasitoids and predators, including ladybird beetles. Remove heavily infested plant parts and control weeds that may harbour mealybugs.
  
  Dr.Eliminator Insecticide 250 ml — Insecticide – Khethari 

8. Tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera litura)

• Symptoms: Young larvae feed in groups and scrape leaf surfaces, while older larvae create large holes and may severely defoliate plants. Caterpillars may also damage buds and fruits.
• Chemical control: To control tobacco caterpillar, apply emamectin benzoate, chlorantraniliprole or indoxacarb against young larvae when fresh feeding damage is observed.   
• Biological control: Use Bt formulations against young larvae, collect egg masses and caterpillars, and conserve parasitoids and predators.Larvex Cutworm Control by Khethari 

9. Thrips (Thrips palmi and other species)

• Symptoms: Thrips rasp tender leaves and shoots, producing silvery streaks, bronzing and distorted growth. Severe attacks can affect flower development and reduce fruit quality.
• Chemical control: To manage thrips, apply a suitable insecticide such as spinetoram when active infestations and fresh feeding damage are detected.Katyayani Spino 45 | Spinosad 45% SC | Chemical insecticide — Insec... – Khethari 
• Biological control: Conserve predatory mites and minute pirate bugs, use blue or yellow sticky traps for monitoring, and avoid unnecessary broad-spectrum insecticide sprays.Dr.Eliminator Insecticide 250 ml — Insecticide – Khethari 

2. Major diseases of brinjal

1. Damping-off

• Causal organisms: Pythium spp. and other soil-borne pathogens, including Rhizoctonia solani.
• Symptoms: Seeds may rot before germination, or young seedlings may develop water-soaked lesions near the soil line. Infected seedlings collapse and die, leaving gaps in nursery beds.
• Chemical control: To manage damping-off, treat seeds with a suitable fungicide such as metalaxyl for susceptible oomycete pathogens or thiram for certain seed-borne fungal pathogens before sowing.Katyayani Meta - Manco | Metalaxyl 8 % + Mancozeb 64 % wp | – Khethari  
• Biological control: Treat seeds or nursery media with Trichoderma harzianum or Trichoderma viride. Raise seedlings in well-drained nursery beds and avoid excessive irrigation.BioShield - TP — Bio-Pesticides – Khethari 

2. Phomopsis blight and fruit rot

• Causal organism: Diaporthe vexans (commonly referred to as Phomopsis vexans in older literature).
• Symptoms: Leaves develop brown, circular or irregular spots that may contain tiny black fruiting bodies. Infected fruits develop sunken brown lesions that enlarge and cause rotting.
• Chemical control: To control Phomopsis blight and fruit rot, apply fungicides such as mancozeb, carbendazim or copper oxychloride at the initial appearance of disease symptomsKatyayani Chatur Mancozeb 40% + Azoxystrobin 7% OS Chemical – Khethari
  
• Biological control: Use healthy seed and Trichoderma-based seed treatments, remove infected fruits and crop residues, and avoid prolonged leaf wetness..BioShield - TP — Bio-Pesticides – Khethari 

3. Little leaf disease

• Causal organism: Phytoplasma.
• Symptoms: Leaves become unusually small, narrow and pale, while shoots develop excessive branching and a bushy appearance. Infected plants produce small flowers, malformed fruits or very little marketable yield.
• Chemical control: There is no reliable curative fungicide for phytoplasma infection; insecticides such as thiamethoxam may help suppress leafhopper vectors where they are involved, but they do not cure infected plants.KATYAYANI DOCTER | THIAMETHOXAM 30% FS | CHEMICAL INSECTICIDE — Ins... – Khethari 
• Biological control: Uproot and destroy infected plants promptly, control weeds that harbour vectors, use healthy seedlings and conserve natural enemies of leafhoppers.Dr.Eliminator Insecticide 250 ml — Insecticide – Khethari 

4. Bacterial wilt

• Causal organism: Ralstonia solanacearum species complex.
• Symptoms: Plants suddenly wilt despite adequate soil moisture, while leaves may initially remain green. Cutting the lower stem may reveal brown vascular tissue, and milky bacterial ooze may emerge when the cut stem is placed in water.
• Chemical control: To chemically control Bacterial wilt in brinjal, dip seedling roots in Streptocycline (1 g/10 litres of water) for 2 hours before transplanting, or drench the soil around the infected crop zone using Copper Oxychloride 50% WP (3 g/litre) combined with Streptomycin Sulphate + Tetracycline Hydrochloride (0.2 g/litre). Katyayani COC 50 | Copper Oxychloride 50% WP | Chemical fungicide —... – Khethari 
• Biological control: Use resistant or tolerant varieties, rotate with non-solanaceous crops, remove and destroy wilted plants, improve drainage and apply validated Pseudomonas fluorescens or Bacillus-based soil treatments as preventive measures..BioShield - TP — Bio-Pesticides – Khethari  

5. Alternaria leaf blight and leaf spot

• Causal organism: Alternaria spp., including Alternaria melongenae in Indian disease references.
• Symptoms: Brown to dark-brown spots develop on leaves and may show concentric rings as they enlarge. Severe infection causes yellowing, premature leaf drying and reduced plant vigour.
• Chemical control: To manage Alternaria leaf spot, apply fungicides such as mancozeb or carbendazim at the initial appearance of symptoms to reduce disease spread.Katyayani Chatur Mancozeb 40% + Azoxystrobin 7% OS Chemical – Khethari 
  
• Biological control: Remove infected leaves and crop residues, maintain adequate plant spacing and use preventive Trichoderma or Bacillus-based treatments where effective..BioShield - TP — Bio-Pesticides – Khethari 

6. Cercospora leaf spot

• Causal organism: Cercospora spp., including Cercospora melongenae.
• Symptoms: Small, circular to irregular brown or grey spots develop on leaves, sometimes with darker margins. Numerous spots can merge, leading to yellowing and premature leaf fall.
• Chemical control: To control Cercospora leaf spot, apply mancozeb when the first spots appear and conditions favour further disease development. Katyayani Chatur Mancozeb 40% + Azoxystrobin 7% OS Chemical – Khethari 
  
• Biological control: Remove infected plant debris, avoid overhead irrigation late in the day and maintain adequate spacing to improve airflow. Preventive biological treatments may help as part of an integrated programme.

7. Root and collar rot

• Causal organism: Rhizoctonia solani and other soil-borne fungi.
• Symptoms: Brown lesions develop around the collar region near the soil line, while roots may decay and lose their ability to absorb water. Affected plants show yellowing, wilting and possible collapse.
• Chemical control: To manage fungal root and collar rot, use a suitable fungicide such as carbendazim as a preventive seed or nursery treatment where appropriate; established root damage may not be reversible.
• Biological control: Apply Trichoderma harzianum to nursery media or soil as a preventive measure, maintain proper drainage and avoid injuring roots during intercultural operations..BioShield - TP — Bio-Pesticides – Khethari 

8. Root-knot nematode

• Causal organisms: Meloidogyne incognita and Meloidogyne javanica.
• Symptoms: Infected roots develop characteristic knots or galls, and plants show stunted growth, yellowing and wilting during warm weather. Infestation often occurs in patches, with poor fruit production in severely affected plants.
• Chemical control: To manage root-knot nematodes, use a suitable nematicide such as fluopyram where available for brinjal, applying it as a preventive soil treatment around transplanting rather than expecting it to reverse established root damage.EPN(Entomopathogenic nematodes) — Pesticides – Khethari 
• Biological control: Incorporate neem cake into the soil and use Purpureocillium lilacinum or Pochonia chlamydosporia formulations as preventive biological treatments. Practise crop rotation and remove heavily infested roots after harvest.

9. Spotted wilt

• Causal organism: Groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV), also known as an orthotospovirus associated with spotted wilt disease.
• Symptoms: Plants develop chlorotic or necrotic spots, bronzing and distorted leaves, and young growth may become stunted. Fruits may develop rings or uneven patches, resulting in reduced market quality.
• Chemical control: There is no curative chemical treatment for virus-infected plants; spinetoram or another suitable thrips-control insecticide may help suppress the vector when thrips populations are increasing.
• Biological control: Remove infected plants, control weeds that harbour thrips and the virus, use healthy seedlings and conserve predatory mites and other thrips natural enemies.

3. General IPM practices for brinjal

• Inspect the crop at least weekly, paying particular attention to tender shoots, leaf undersides, flowers and developing fruits.
• Remove and destroy borer-infested shoots and fruits regularly.
• Install pheromone traps to monitor shoot and fruit borer populations.
• Use healthy seedlings, crop rotation, field sanitation and balanced fertilisation.
• Conserve beneficial insects and use biological products preventively where appropriate.
• Rotate insecticide modes of action rather than repeatedly using the same active ingredient.