Field screening sorghum for resistance to sorghum midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
1988
Sharma, H.C. | Vidyāsāgara, Pra | Leuschner, K.
Various techniques to increase infestation and improve efficiency of screening sorghum for sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola (Coquillett), resistance were tested at ICRISAT Center. Adjustment of planting dates to synchronize flowering with period of peak abundance of adult midges, planting infester rows of susceptible cultivars ('CSH 1' and 'CSH 5') 20 d before test cultivars, spreading midge-damaged sorghum panicles containing diapausing midge larvae in infester rows, and using sprinkler irrigation during flowering in the postrainy season helped to increase midge abundance. Careful and selective use of contact insecticides to control head bug, Calocoris angustatus Lethiery, and midge parasite Tetrastichus diplosidis Crawther was useful in screening and selecting sorghum cultivars for midge resistance. Planting two sets of test material at fortnightly intervals helped to reduce chances that sorghum would escape midge damage. Maintaining thin plant stands also increased midge damage by preventing population dilution due to fewer numbers of panicles per unit area.
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