Inheritance of resistance to spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus, in sorghum, Sorghum bicolor

• Published in: Euphytica Vol. 156; no. 1-2; pp. 117 - 128
• Main Authors: Sharma, H. C, Dhillon, M. K, Pampapathy, G, Reddy, B. V. S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Kluwer Academic Publishers 01-07-2007; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: additive gene effects; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; artificial selection; Biological and medical sciences; Borers; Chilo partellus; Combining ability; Corn; Cytoplasmic male sterility; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; general combining ability; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; grain sorghum; Heterosis. Floral biology applications: apomixy, male sterility, incompatibility, varia; Host plants; Hybrids; inheritance (genetics); Leaves; Nodes; Pest resistance; Pests; Plant breeding: fundamental aspects and methodology; Plant resistance; Recovery; resistance mechanisms; selection criteria; Sorghum; Sorghum bicolor; specific combining ability; Stems; Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims; Monocotyledones; Mechanisms of resistance, Gene action; Insecta; Gene expression; Genetic determinism; Cereal crop; Resistance; Sorghum bicolor; Pest; Pyralidae; Phytophagous; Gramineae; Arthropoda; Sorghum bicolor, Cytoplasmic male-sterility; Angiospermae; Lepidoptera; Genetic improvement; Spermatophyta; Invertebrata; Chilo partellus; Cytoplasmic male sterility; Stem borer
• ISSN: 0014-2336; 1573-5060
• DOI: 10.1007/s10681-007-9358-x

The spotted stem borer, Chilo partellus, is one of the most important pests of sorghum, and host plant resistance is an important component for the management of this pest. Most of the sorghum hybrids currently under cultivation are based on cytoplasmic male-sterility (CMS). In order to develop a strategy for resistance to stem borer, we studied the traits associated with resistance, and their nature of gene action in F₁ hybrids derived from resistant, moderately resistant, and susceptible CMS and restorer lines. The hybrids based on stem borer-resistant, moderately resistant, or susceptible CMS and restorer lines were equally resistant or susceptible as the parents for leaf feeding [Damage rating (DR) 5.8 to 6.6 vs. 5.9 to 6.6], and had significant and decreasing trend in deadheart formation (resistant CMS x resistant restorer lines < moderately resistant CMS x moderately resistant restorer lines < susceptible CMS x susceptible restorer lines), respectively. Proportional contributions of restorer lines were greater than those of the CMS lines for leaf feeding, deadhearts, recovery and overall resistance, stalk length, nodes per plant, stem borer holes per plant, and peduncle tunneling. The general (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) estimates suggested that leaf feeding score, number of nodes, overall resistance score, panicle initiation, recovery score, and stalk length (dominance type of gene action) have been found to be associated with resistance to spotted stem borer, governed by additive type of gene action, their correlation and direct effects in the same direction, and explained 65.3% of the variation in deadhearts, and thus could be used as marker traits to select and breed for resistance to C. partellus in sorghum. The parents having significant SCA effects for two or more resistance traits for either or more parents have also been discussed for their use in the stem borer resistance breeding.