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Research Project: Management of Aphids Attacking Cereals

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Title: Resistance to Melanaphis sacchari (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in forage and grain sorghums

Author
item Armstrong, John
item MBULWE, LLOYD - Texas A&M University
item SEKULA-ORTIZ, DANIELLE - Texas A&M Agrilife
item VILLENUEVA, RAUL - University Of Kentucky
item ROONEY, WILLIAM - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/5/2016
Publication Date: 2/1/2017
Citation: Armstrong, J.S., Mbulwe, L., Sekula-Ortiz, D., Villenueva, R.T., Rooney, W.L. 2017. Resistance to Melanaphis sacchari (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in forage and grain sorghums. Journal of Economic Entomology. 110(1):259-265.

Interpretive Summary: We evaluated 32 sorghums for host plant resistance to the sugarcane aphid. We found very high forms of tolerance, antibiosis, and antixenosis in B11055, a seed parent, and R13219, a grain pollinator that will provide good sources of resistance to the sugarcane aphid in breeding programs. An additional group of seed parents (B13045 and B1057) and grain pollinator parents (R11159, R13422, and RTx2908) and the plant introduction (P.I. 550610) had mid-range of phenotypic resistance (i.e. 4.0 < 6.0) which is indicative of antibiosis as a form of resistance. These will help alleviate the damage caused by sugarcane aphid, but not to the degree that the B11055 and R13219 can provide.

Technical Abstract: The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, (Zehntner) has established itself as a perennial pest of grain and forage sorghums in the United States since the summer of 2013. We conducted traditional host-plant resistant studies that determine tolerance, antibiosis, and antixenosis in 32 sorghum genotypes when challenged with sugarcane aphids. The genotypes included one exotic plant introduction and 31 seed and pollinator parental lines that are used to produce grain, sudangrass, and forage sorghum hybrids. One seed parent (B11055), and one grain pollinator parent (R13219) expressed significant degrees of tolerance, antibiosis, and antixenosis and were top performers in all three resistance type experiments. An additional group of seed parents (B13045 and B1057) and grain pollinator parents (R11159, R13422, and RTx2908) and the plant introduction (P.I. 550610) had mid-range of phenotypic resistance (i.e. 4.0 < 6.0) indicative of antibiosis from reduced fecundity, increased intrinsic rate of increase, and increased generation times. The forms of resistance expressed in these lines, especially the B11055 and R13219, have great potential in breeding programs that can integrated into useable forms of host-plant resistant sorghums.