Farmers burdened by yield losses in brinjal crops due to fruit and shoot borer insect pest now have a ray of hope.

For Mahyco, one of the largest private hybrid seed companies, has developed a backcrossed transgenic seed of fruit and shoot borer resistant brinjal, also known as eggplant, for the benefit of farmers.

The seeds have been handed over to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) for further development and validation, which, after successful field trials, would be distributed to farmers on cost basis, University sources said.

Brinjal is one of the most important vegetables consumed in the sub-tropics and tropics and China and India are the major producers, together accounting for nearly 84 per cent of the world production.

However, production was plagued by chronically high infestation of fruit and shoot borer pest, forcing farmers to apply pesticides at exceptionally high rates.

According to an estimate, the crop loss due to pest and diseases in India ranged from 54 to 70 per cent. The sources said that because of severe yield losses, farmers used many toxic chemicals repeatedly.

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