Resistance of bioenergy sorghum to Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

• Main Authors: Octavio Gabryel Araújo, Simone Martins Mendes, Michelle Vilella, Luis Cláudio Paterno Silveira, Maria Lucia Ferreira Simeone, Marcus Antonio Matiello Fadini, Rafael Augusto da Costa Parrella
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal de Uberlândia 2019-06-01
• Series: Bioscience Journal
• Subjects: cell wall; stem borer; sorghum pest; sweet sorghum; high biomass sorghum
• Online Access: http://www.seer.ufu.br/index.php/biosciencejournal/article/view/41770

This study evaluated the effects of the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on cultivars of sweet and biomass sorghum for the selection of resistant cultivars. The present work consisted of two trials, with natural pest infestation. In the first one, 10 sweet sorghum cultivars were analyzed for the following variables: plant height, number of healthy and damaged internodes, gallery position and size, stem infestation level and soluble solids content (°Brix). In the second trial, it was analyzed 16 genotypes of high biomass sorghum, with the same variables above mentioned, in addition to the lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose contents. Among sweet sorghum genotypes evaluated, the genotype CMSXS647 stood out due to the traits: plant height, infestation level, gallery size and soluble solids content. Among the sorghum genotypes evaluated, CMSXS7030, CMSXS7012 and CMSXS7028 presented ideal characteristics for infestation level, plant height and number of lignocellulosic compounds. Such information, in addition to supporting the bioenergy sorghum breeding program, will assist in integrated pest management for sorghum cultivation.