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Breeding Sorghum for Resistance to Insects in Eastern Africa

  • Section IV Plant Breeding for Insect Resistance
  • Published:
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Insect pests are major yield reducers in sorghum under traditional farming practices in Africa. The use of resistant varieties in an integrated pest management scheme provides the most cost effective and practical means of sorghum insect control. Corneous grain sorghums are more weevil resistant than their softer endosperm counterparts. A wide range of sources of resistance to shootfly, stemborer and greenbug are known. Breeding for resistance to sorghum insects has been practised with varying degrees of success. Greenbug resistance breeding in sorghum has been successful in the U.S.A. Stemborers are perhaps the most serious group of sorghum insects in Eastern Africa and further efforts are needed in breeding for resistance to these pests. In an effective pest resistance breeding work, the breeder and the entomologist must work as a team to make the fastest possible progress. Where several pests are of concern in an area, genotypes with multiple resistance in good agronomic backgrounds are needed.

Résumé

Les insectes nuisibles au sorgho sont responsables de la réduction de la récolte de cette culture dans les conditions agricoles traditionnelles en Afrique. L’utilisation des variétés résistantes dans le cadre d’un plan intégré de contrôle des insectes constitute le moyen le plus économique et pratique dans le contrôle des insectes nuisibles au sorgho, Les sorghos à grains durs sont plus résistants au charançons que ceux à endosperme doux. Il existe un vaste choix de sources de résistance à la mouche Atherigona soccata, au rongeur de tige, et au ’greenbug’. La reproduction en vue de créer un sorgho résistant aux insectes a été pratiquée à des degrés de succès varients. La reproduction du sorgho résistant au ’greenbug’ a résussi aux états Unis. Les rongeurs de tige constituent probablement le groupe le plus sérieux d’insecte nuisibles au sorgho en Afrique de L’Est, et des efforts supplémentaires sont requis en vue d’engendrer des plantes résistantes a ces insectes. Pur arriver à une résistance effective aux insectes, l’agriculteur et l’entomologiste doivent collaborer pour obtenir des progrès repides. Dans une région où plusieurs insectes sont à considérer, les génotypes avec résistance multipoles dans de bonnes conditions agronomiques sont requis.

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  1. ICRISAT/SAFGRAD Sorghum and Millet Regional Program, P.O. Box 30786, Nairobi, Kenya

    Brhane Gebrekidan

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  1. Brhane Gebrekidan
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Gebrekidan, B. Breeding Sorghum for Resistance to Insects in Eastern Africa. Int J Trop Insect Sci 6, 351–357 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400004628

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400004628

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