Characterization of Resistance to the Mexican Rice Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) among Sugarcane Cultivars

oleh: Leonardo D. Salgado, Blake E. Wilson, Hannah J. Penn, Randy T. Richard, Michael O. Way

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-09-01

Deskripsi

Cultivar resistance is an essential management strategy for the Mexican rice borer, <i>Eoreuma loftini</i> (Dyar), in sugarcane in the USA, but resistance mechanisms are poorly understood. Resistance was evaluated among Louisiana’s (USA) commercial sugarcane cultivars and experimental clones through field screenings, greenhouse trials, and a diet incorporation assay. Cultivars L 01-299 and HoCP 85-845 had the lowest borer injury levels, while HoCP 00-950 and L 12-201 were among the most heavily injured in field and greenhouse trials. The variability of results between the two field trials suggests that a genotype × environment interaction might affect the expression of resistance. Oviposition did not differ among evaluated cultivars in the greenhouse choice study. Results from the no-choice experiment showed that neonatal establishment differed among cultivars by up to 3-fold. In a diet incorporation assay, all cultivars reduced larval weight up to 86.5% and increased days to pupation by 1.8-fold relative to the diet-only control. Collectively, these results suggest that Louisiana’s sugarcane breeding germplasm contains various resistance levels to <i>E. loftini,</i> emphasizing the importance of screening cultivars before they are released to growers. Future studies should try to determine the influence of environmental factors on resistance expression.