Emerging insect pest and disease problems of sweet sorghum
2007
Layaoen, T.Z. | Caraan, O.V. | Layaoen, H.L., Mariano Marcos State Univ., Batac 2906 Ilocos Norte (Philippines)
Sweet sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is becoming a popular crop in the Philippines because of its potential as feedstock in bio-ethanol production. Considering its characteristic features this crop is vulnerable to pest attacks. In an evaluation made on 61 ICRISAT breeding lines planted in Batac, Ilocos Norte, four insect pest species were found feeding on young leaves and shoots namely; Spodoptera litura, Helicoverpa armigera, Rhopalosiphum maidis and Schizaphis graminium. Attacking the young kernels were the headworm (H. armigera), webworm (Ephestia sp.), chinch bug (Blissus sp.), Phalacrid beetle (Phalacrinus rotundus), corn sap beetle (Carpphilus dimidiatus), and maize weevil (Sitophilus zeamais). The corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis attacked the stalk and a root pest, Agriotes sp. was also noted while the crop was at seedling stage. High degree of resistance was noted on some breeding lines. Of the 61 ICRISAT breeding lines , nine were not infected with P. rotundus, and C. dimidiatus, while seven lines did not show any incidence of S. zeamais despite high pest pressures. There were ten diseases recorded namely: seedling blight, leaf blotch and red stalk rot, all due to Fusarium spp.; leaf anthracnose, leaf rust, Helminthosporium leaf blotch and head smut caused by Colletotrichum graminicola, Puccinia purpurea, H. sativum and Sporisorium relianum, respectively. A bacterial leaf stripe due to Pseudomonas sp. and leaf mosaic were noted during the vegetative stage of the crop. Among the 61 breeding lines evaluated, six were not infected with Fusarium leaf blotch and rust diseases while seven others did not show any infection due to Helminthosporium leaf blotch. The rest were all susceptible to the above identified diseases.
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