Evaluation of Okra Varieties/Genotypes for Whitefly Tolerance

Abstract

Okra is a heat-loving, short-duration crop suited to warm climates and mainly grown during the kharif and summer seasons, fitting well into multiple cropping systems while providing quick economic returns, and is primarily cultivated for its tender pods widely used in various culinary preparations. To determine the best okra cultivar that can withstand the whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius). Thus, the current study, "Evaluation of Okra Varieties/Genotypes for Whitefly Tolerance," was conducted in the summer of 2023–2024 and 2024–2025. Sixteen okra varieties/genotypes were used in a randomized complete block design experiment. According to the results, none of the genotypes or varieties were found to be immune or resistant to whitefly infestation. The results revealed that the minimum whitefly population was recorded in varieties/genotypes GNO-1 (3.13 whiteflies/3 leaves), IPS-1 (4.16 whiteflies/3 leaves) and Parbhani Kranti (4.34 whiteflies/3 leaves). While, the maximum whitefly population were recorded in Pusa Sawani (11.32 whiteflies/3 leaves) and IPS-9 (10.68 whiteflies/3 leaves). Among the evaluated genotypes of okra, GNO-1 exhibited the highest level of resistance compared to the other tested varieties.