Evaluation of selected sorghum cultivars for post-harvest susceptibility to the lesser grain borer, Rhizopertha dominica (f.)
2000
Mensah, G.W.K. (University of Development Studies, Tamale (Ghana). Faculty of Agriculture) | Okonkwo, C.A.C. (Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (Nigeria). School of Agriculture)
Laboratory studies were carried out to evaluate the relative susceptibility of 20 local sorghum cultivars to post-harvest infestation by the lesser grain borer, Rhizopertha dominica (F.). Evaluation was based on an index of susceptibility, grain physical characteristics. Storage characteristics and the number of adult beetles which emerged from the previously infested grains. Only cv 3-6 proved to be resistant to post-harvest attack by the beetles; the remaining cultivars were either intermediate or highly susceptible to beetle attack. Grain hardness, which accounted for about 30.1% of the host resistance, was the most important physical character that influenced the ability of grains to resist beetle attack. High progeny emergence, loss in grain weight and rapid change in moisture content greatly contributed to the loss in seed viability. Length of storage also adversely affected the vulnerability of the test cultivars to beetle attack.
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