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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #97760
Title: REGISTRATION OF VGP 11 PEANUT GERMPLASM

Author
item COFFELT, TERRY
item MOZINGO, R. - VIRGINIA POLYTECH INST.
item HERBERT JR., D. - VIRGINIA POLYTECH INST.

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/28/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Southern corn rootworm is a major insect pest of peanuts in the Southeastern USA, causing yield losses of up to 40 percent. Growers spend over 3 million dollars annually on pesticides for control of southern corn rootworm in peanuts. USDA-ARS and the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station recently released a new resistant germplasm line VGP 11. Up to 89 percent of rootworm larvae died in laboratory studies after being fed a diet of VGP 11 pegs (the structure which attaches the pod to the plant). Yields of VGP 11 are higher than NC 6, the only currently available resistant cultivar, in soils infested with rootworms. VGP 11 also has a more desirable pink seed coat than the tan seed coat of NC 6, and the seed coat is more easily removed during processing. This germplasm should serve as a valuable source of resistance and desirable processing traits for developing new peanut cultivars.

Technical Abstract: Southern corn rootworm is a major insect pest of peanuts in the Southeastern USA, causing yield losses of up to 40 percent. Growers spend over 3 million dollars annually on pesticides for control of southern corn rootworm in peanuts. USDA-ARS and the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station recently released a new resistant germplasm line VGP 11. VGP 11 yields from 482 to 1240 kg ha -1 more than current cultivars on heavier soils usually infested with southern corn rootworm, but yields 59 to 464 kg ha -1 less on soils where rootworm is not a problem. The only currently available resistant cultivar is NC 6. Field and laboraory studies indicate resistance by NC 6 is in both developing peg and pod tissues, while resistance by VGP 11 may be present only in the peg tissues. VGP 11 also differs from NC 6 in having larger seed (78.2 vs. 73.7 g 100 seed -1), higher blanchability of extra-large kernels (81.6% vs. 72.6%), and a more desirable seed testa color (pink vs. tan). This germplasm should serve as a valuable source of resistance and desirable processing traits for developing new peanut cultivars with increased levels of resistance to southern corn rootworm while maintaining high levels of blanchability and the pink seed testa color desired by industry.