A new technique for evaluating southwestern corn borer damage to post-anthesis maize
1997
Davis, F.M. | Williams, W.P.
An effective and efficient technique for evaluating plants' susceptibility to an insect pest is essential to screening for resistance. For many years, the accepted method of evaluating the resistance of maize, Zen mays (L.) at post-anthesis to southwestern corn borer (SWCB), Diatraea grandiosella Dyar, has been to measure the extent of stalk tunneling damage 35-to-40 days after infestation with eggs or neonate larvae. Given the failure thus far to identify and develop germplasm that possesses resistance after anthesis using this method, We deve1oped a new technique/e Studies have shown that SWCB larvae up to 14 days old feed primarily on leaf sheath and ear tissue (especially husk-1eaves) on post-anthesis-stage plants. The larvae make feeding lesions on these tissues similar to those made on whorl 1eaves. A visual rating scale was developed utilizing type and number of feeding lesions on the outer three husk-leaves of the top ear and its associated leaf sheath. The leaf sheath and husk-leaf rating scales and their utility as an evaluation technique are discussed.
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