**5. Conclusions**

According to the plant resistance index (PRI), eggplant CV. 'White-Casper' with lowest PRI value (1.00) had higher susceptibility to *M. persicae* than the other tested CVS. The 'Red-Round' and 'Pearl-Round' CVS with PRI values of 1.12 and 1.26, respectively, were also more susceptible than 'Ravaya', which is an early maturing, high yielding, and popular variety for the fresh export market [49], with a PRI value of 3.32. Finally, the 'Long-Green', with the highest PRI value compared to other CVS (7.75), can be introduced as the most resistant CV. for application in integrated managemen<sup>t</sup> of *M. persicae*. In general, the green eggplant CVS that are early maturing, with high tolerance to bacterial wilt and attractive fruit shape and color had high consumer preference [50]. However, these CVS should

be tested in the field conditions to determine the yield of the infested plant in natural conditions. Furthermore, it is necessary to conduct additional research on the mechanisms of resistance or susceptibility of the CVS.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, Z.R., J.R., B.N. and A.E.; methodology, Z.R. and J.R.; formal analysis, Z.R., J.R. and A.E.; investigation, Z.R.; writing—original draft preparation, Z.R., J.R., B.N., A.E. and P.K.; writing—review and editing, Z.R., J.R., B.N., A.E. and P.K.; supervision, J.R., B.N. and A.E.; funding acquisition, P.K. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.

**Data Availability Statement:** The data that support the findings of this study are available upon request from the authors.

**Acknowledgments:** This research was financially supported by the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran, and was partially supported by Chiang Mai University, Thailand, which is greatly appreciated.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
