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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sunflower and Plant Biology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #223834
Title: Development of resistance to insect pests attacking the stem and head of cultivated sunflower in the central and northern production areas of North America

Author
item Charlet, Laurence
item AIKEN, ROBERT - KANSAS STATE UNIV
item Seiler, Gerald
item MILLER, JERRY - RETIRED ARS
item GRADY, KATHLEEN - SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item KNODEL, JANET - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/16/2008
Publication Date: 6/1/2008
Citation: Charlet, L.D., Aiken, R.M., Seiler, G.J., Miller, J.F., Grady, K.A., Knodel, J.J. 2008. Development of resistance to insect pests attacking the stem and head of cultivated sunflower in the central and northern production areas of North America. Proceedings of 17th International Sunflower Conference, June 8-12, 2008, Cordoba, Spain. p. 237-242.

Interpretive Summary: There is a need to provide successful and economical management tools for the sunflower producer to reduce losses from the spectrum of insect pests that attack the crop in the major production regions. The use of plant resistance can be a useful strategy in a long-term integrated pest management approach for crop protection. The goal of this project was to investigate host plant resistance as a potentially valuable management resource and screen sunflower accessions, interspecific crosses, and lines for those having reduced seed damage from larval feeding by the sunflower moth, red sunflower seed weevil, and banded sunflower moth and reduced densities of sunflower stem weevil larvae in the stalks. Trials were conducted in the central and northern Plains of the U.S. to screen germplasm in the areas where the different insects have caused economic losses. The discovery of germplasm that has lower insect damage can provide the seed companies with breeding material to be incorporated into hybrids targeted to locations where specific insect problems occur. A long-term goal is to identify germplasm with resistance or tolerance to more than one insect pest. The 2005 and 2006 trials revealed that the most resistant lines had a 70-90% reduction in weevil or moth seed damage or numbers of weevil larvae in stalks compared to the most susceptible lines evaluated. After each year of testing, lines with low damage have been retested to confirm their resistance to attack. Trials were conducted again for all four insect pest species in 2007.

Technical Abstract: There is a need to provide successful and economical management tools for the sunflower producer to reduce losses from the spectrum of insect pests that attack the crop in the major production regions. The use of plant resistance can be a useful strategy in a long-term integrated pest management approach for crop protection. The goal of this project was to investigate host plant resistance as a potentially valuable management resource and screen sunflower accessions, interspecific crosses, and lines for those having reduced seed damage from larval feeding by the sunflower moth, red sunflower seed weevil, and banded sunflower moth and reduced densities of sunflower stem weevil larvae in the stalks. Trials were conducted in the central and northern Plains of the U.S. to screen germplasm in the areas where the different insects have caused economic losses. The discovery of germplasm that has lower insect damage can provide the seed companies with breeding material to be incorporated into hybrids targeted to locations where specific insect problems occur. A long-term goal is to identify germplasm with resistance or tolerance to more than one insect pest. The 2005 and 2006 trials revealed that the most resistant lines had a 70-90% reduction in weevil or moth seed damage or numbers of weevil larvae in stalks compared to the most susceptible lines evaluated. After each year of testing, lines with low damage have been retested to confirm their resistance to attack. Trials were conducted again for all four insect pest species in 2007.