Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: January 14, 1999
Publication Date: N/A
Interpretive Summary: Corn in the U.S. is attacked by three stem borers belonging to the genus Diatraea. They are in order of importance: southwestern corn borer, sugarcane borer, and southern corn stalk borer. USDA-ARS scientists located at Mississippi State, MS, have developed and released nine germplasm lines with resistance to southwestern corn borer leaf feeding. The purpose of the present study was to determine if this corn germplasm is also resistant to soutehrn corn stalk borer and sugarcane borer. We evaluated three southwestern corn borer resistant and three susceptible corn hybrids by feeding larvae of all three susceptible corn hybrids all three species reconstituted ground, freeze-dried whorl leaf tissue in laboratory diets. As observed for the southwestern corn borer, larvae of the southern corn stalk borer and sugarcane borer grown on the resistant leaf tissue diets were significantly smaller than those reared on the susceptible leaf powder diets. These results indicate that this corn germplasm is resistant to all three species. This indicates that the germplasm used in this investigation could be used by seed companies to produce corn hybrids with resistance to all three pests. Farmers growing such hybrids would reduce their risks of sustaining losses from these insects.
Technical Abstract: Maize, Zea mays L., germplasm lines with resistance to leaf feeding by the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar, have been developed and released. In this study we determined if hybrids developed from these germplasm lines are also resistant to two other Diatraea spp. that attack maize in the USA [southern corn stalk borer, D. crambiboides (Grote), and sugarance borer, D. saccharalis (F.)]. Evaluation of three southwestern corn borer resistant and three susceptible maize hybrids for level of susceptibility to the southern corn stalk borer and sugarcane borer was done by feeding the larvae reconstituted ground, lyophilized whorl leaf tissue diets in the laboratory. Larvae of the southern corn stalk borer, sugarcane borer, and southwetern corn borer grown on the resistant leaf tissue diets were significantly smaller than those reared on the susceptible leaf powder diets. Our results indicate that these maize germplasms are resistant to all three Diatraea sp.