Manikandan K R

Evaluation of Resistance in Lycopersicon Hybrids Selected Insect Pests Manikandan K R

Using back cross a tool of hybridization, an attempt to screen the insect pests of tomato like fruit borer, leaf caterpillar, leaf miner and whitefly against the developed hybrids was evaluated. The evaluation consisted of the semi field experiments to investigate the various mechanisms of resistance viz., preference/non preference of larvae for feeding, antibiosis of the plants on the insect development and biophysical and biochemical bases of resistance operative in the selected tomato accessions and their hybrid derivatives. The laboratory experiments included the determination of biophysical and biochemical fruit traits which induce antixenosis and antibiosis in tomato against tomato selected insect pests. The fruit length, fruit diameter, number of fruit/plants were found to be most important biophysical fruit character, which contributed antixenosis in tomato against selected insect pests in the same way, the quantity of phenols and reducing sugar the major role in inducing biochemical based antixenosis and antibiosis. The findings of endeavor persuade the utilization of identified sources of resistance in hybridization techniques of tomato against selected insect pests.