The undertaken project consists of the field and lab experiments which were carried out to investigate the biophysical and biochemical basis of resistance in the fruits of bitter-gourd plant. The field experiments included screening of 13 genotypes of bitter-gourd and tolerance studies. The laboratory experiments included the determination of biophysical and biochemical fruit traits which induce antixenosis and antibiosis in bitter-gourd against melon fruit fly. The fruit-length, fruit diameter, number of ridges/cm2, depth of ribs, pericarp thickness and fruit toughness were found to be most important biophysical fruit traits, which contributed antixenosis in bitter-gourd against melon fruit-fly. Similarly, quantity of ascorbic-acid, chlorophyll (chlorophyll 'a', 'b' and total chlorophyll), reducing sugars, total sugars, non-reducing sugars, nitrogen, protein, phosphorus, potassium, tannin, flavonol, phenols, ash and silica played paramount role in inducing biochemical based antixenosis and antibiosis. The findings of endeavour persuade for the utilization of identified sources of resistance in crop breeding program of bitter-gourd against melon fruit fly.

This book describes the entrance of Cr (III) into the food chain of silkworm from mulberry plants irrigated using Cr (III) containing synthetic effluents during the year 2010 at Sericulture Laboratory in Agricultural Entomology Department. The objective of the study was to evaluate the accumulation of Cr (III) in soil, mulberry leaves, silkworm larvae, silk glands and feaces and to observe the effects of this accumulation on the growth of silkworm larvae and silk yield. The soil, plant, silk glands silkworm and their excreta were sampled to determine Cr. (III) amount using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS).The conclusions were withdrawn from the obtained results were(1)Bio- accumulation Cr (III) in soil, mulberry leaves, silk glands, silkworm larvae and faeces was high at the higher concentration of Cr (III) effluent(2)Although Bombyx mori excreted large quantity of Cr(III) but still most of Cr (III) reside inside its body.(3) Food consumption, Coefficient of food utilization and silk yield also affected by the effluent.