REACTION OF EGGPLANT (SOLANUM MELONGENA L.) VARIETIES AND ROMA VF TOMATO TO ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES(MELOIDOGYNE INCOGNITA) IN SAMARU ZARIA

Screen-house experiments were conducted to evaluate the reaction of three commonly grown varieties of eggplants: S. serpentinum “Yalon Bello”, S. depressum “Ɗata”, and S. esculentum “ Farin yalo” to M. incognita with tomato (Roma-VF) used as a stand ard check. Seedlings were raised in 5 L plastic pots and arranged in a Completely Randomized Design with five replications. Seedlings were inoculated with 5000 eggs of M. incognita.  Reduction in plant height and stem girth was significant in “Yalon-Bello” (31.4 and 25 %) than in “Data” (29.9 and 22.2 %), “Farin-Yalo” (15.5 and 20.0 %), and Roma VF (9.6 and 10.0 %). When Roma VF was compared with the three eggplant varieties showed no significant difference to “Data” for both parameters, but was significantly different from “Farin-Yalo” and “Yalon-Bello”. Fresh and dry shoot weights decreased by 2.8 and 40.4%  for “Farin-Yalo”, 13.5 and 34.1% for “Yalon-Bello”, 16.6 and 17.0% for “Ɗata” and for Roma VF (standard check) was 17.7 and 22.7%. “Data” gave higher percentage delay in flowering and fruiting (4% and 5%) followed by “Farin-Yalon” (2% and 3%) and “Yalon-Bello” (2% and 2%) respectively, but the percentage delay in Roma VF (10% and 7%) was significant when compared to the eggplant varieties. “Farin- yalo” gave higher number of root galls (65) and this was comparable to the standard check (71), Roma VF. The number of galls produced on “Data” (13) and “Yalon-Bello” (27) were however significantly (P≤0.05) lower than in “Farin-Yalo”. “Farin-Yalo among the three varieties appeared to be more susceptible to the nematodes thus, “Data” or “Yalon-Bello” should be recommended to the farmers.