author(s)
PP Dave and HV Pandya

abstract
Investigations on fruit damage caused by okra shoot and fruit borer, Earias vittella (Fabricius) in relation to various abiotic factors was carried out under field condition during kharif season of 2015 and 2016 at Regional Horticultural Research Station, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat. The results revealed that during 2015 in GAO-5, fruit damage per cent caused by E. vittella reached its peak at 10th WAS i.e. 36 SW (48.05 per cent fruit damage/week). While in Vikas 101 (Hybrid) fruit damage by E. vittella reached its peak at 10th WAS i.e. 36 SW (30.14 per cent fruit damage/week). During 2016 in GAO-5, fruit damage caused by E. vittella reached its peak at 13th WAS i.e. 38 SW (45.15 per cent fruit damage/week). While in Vikas 101 (Hybrid), fruit damage caused by E. vittella reached its peak at 13th WAS i.e. 38 SW (30.92 per cent fruit damage/week). Among various weather parameters, during 2015 in GAO-5 maximum temperature (-0.605) was significant and negatively correlated and average temperature (-0.687) was highly significant and negatively correlated with per cent fruit damage of E. vittella on okra whereas significant positive correlation was found between per cent fruit damage of E. vittella on okra and evening relative humidity (r= 0.516), average relative humidity (r= 0.500). While in Vikas 101 (Hybrid) significant negative correlation was found between per cent fruit damage of E. vittella on okra and maximum temperature (r= -0.620) while average temperature (r= -0.706) found highly significant and negatively correlated with per cent fruit damage of E. vittella on okra whereas significant positive correlation was found between per cent fruit damage of E. vittella on okra and evening relative humidity (r= 0.537), average relative humidity (r= 0.522). During 2016 in GAO-5, The data indicated that significant negative correlation was found between per cent fruit damage caused by E. vittella on okra and maximum temperature (r= -0.503), average temperature (r= -0.538), wind velocity (r= -582) whereas, significant positive correlation was found between per cent fruit damage of E. vittella on okra and morning relative humidity (r= 0.578), rain fall (r= 0.591) while average relative humidity (r= 0.725) found highly significant and positively correlated with per cent fruit damage of E. vittella on okra. While in vikas 101 (Hybrid)it is revealed that maximum temperature (r= -0.579), sun shine hours (r= -0.593) found significant and negatively correlated with per cent fruit damage of E. vittella on okra. Similarly, significant positive correlation was found between evening relative humidity (r= 0.537), average relative humidity (r= 0.522) and per cent fruit damage of E. vittella on okra while rain fall (r= 0.754) found highly significant and positively correlated with per cent fruit damage of E. vittella on okra.