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Effect of Southwestern Corn Borer Feeding on Maize 1
Author(s) -
Scott Gene E.,
Davis Frank M.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1974.00021962006600060016x
Subject(s) - infestation , biology , brood , agronomy , yield (engineering) , zea mays , helicoverpa zea , hybrid , pest analysis , horticulture , noctuidae , botany , metallurgy , materials science
The extent of damage to corn ( Zea mays L.) caused by infestation with southwestern corn borers ( Diatraea grandiosella Dyar) was determined. Corn hybrids were manually infested with corn borer egg masses to simulate a uniform heavy natural infestation. First‐brood larval feeding significantly reduced plant height by an average of 16 cm over the 2 years of the test. Significant yield losses of 20 and 9% occurred from first‐ and second‐brood damage, respectively. On plots infested with both broods, yields were reduced 29%. Reduced kernel weight or number of ears produced did not account for the total yield losses that were obtained for different borer treatments. Therefore, we concluded that a considerable portion of the yield reductions caused by southwestern corn borer feeding must be a reflection of the reduction in the number of kernels produced per plant. The magnitude of the yield losses caused by this insect as shown in these tests certainly justifies a breeding program to develop hybrids resistant to the southwestern corn borer. Because first‐brood feeding caused a higher percentage of yield losses, a concentration of initial effort on breeding for leaf‐feeding resistance seems logical.