Effect of different control methods on Cuscuta campestris, and growth and productivity of eggplant (Solanum melongena)

A field experiment was conducted in Al-Qizuina district-province of Najaf during the 2017 growing season in order to control parasitizing dodder (Cuscuta campestris) on eggplants through increasing plant growth and inducing plant resistance using nutrients and herbicide. The experiment arranged within RCBD with three replicates. Results showed significant differences between treatments. Among all the treatments, Boric acid resulted in the highest values of leaf number, leaf area, plant height, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root, thickness of bark, epidermis and petiole cortex of the leaf, and shorter time to fruit maturity as well as no infection was detected. While, Na2SiO3 resulted in higher values of stem diameter, earliness in first flower formation and higher of fruit set, number of fruit per plant, fruit weight and plant productivity, early (13.84 ton.ha-1)and total yield (69.24 ton.ha-1). The herbicide Sulfosulfuron was effective to control dodder resulted in filaments decease and prevented its flowering compared to the mechanical control and the other infected treatments in which dodder not only reduced the eggplants vegetative growth but also affected the quality and quantity of early (5.82 ton.ha-1) and total yield (44.39 ton.ha-1). These results confirm the using of high efficient treatments in to control dodder which can be practically applied in the integrate management program of this pest