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Turkish Alfalfa Cultivars Screened for Alfalfa Weevil Resistance
Author(s) -
Ratcliffe Roger H.,
Elgin James H.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1990.0011183x003000050007x
Subject(s) - antibiosis , biology , cultivar , weevil , hypera postica , medicago sativa , agronomy , horticulture , pest analysis , genetics , bacteria
Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) cultivars have been developed with tolerance to the alfalfa weevil [ Hypera postica ( Gyllenhal)], but not antibiosis or nonpreference. This study evaluated 28 Turkish alfalfa cultivars as sources of resistance expressed as antibiosis or feeding nonpreference. One hundred plants of each cultivar were tested in the laboratory to characterize resistance. Resistance was evaluated by caging 10 neonate alfalfa weevil larvae on plants for 8 d. Mean larval survival and weight after 8 d feeding was compared with that on the susceptible cultivar Ranger. Plants selected for resistance were vegetatively propagated and re‐evaluated in replicated tests. Larval survival and development on Turkish cultivars did no differ from that on Ranger although larval survival was lower on three selected clones in one experiment. These clones did not demonstrate resistance when retested approximately 2 mo later. None of the Turkish cultivars appeared to be promising sources of antibiosis or nonpreference.