Abstract

                                Stem borers are the major pest complex contributing to yield reduction in sorghum and stem borer, Chilo partellus is the important one among them. Identification of resistant genotypes is a contributing factor for releasing new varieties. In the present study, 11 sorghum entries along with one resistant (IS 2205) and susceptible (Swarna) checks were evaluated for stem borer resistance in kharif and rabi seasons considering leaf damage, dead heart, stem tunneling, yield plant -1 and 1000 grain weight. The results revealed that sorghum entries TNS 664 and TNS 667 registered the lowest leaf damage score (2.9, 2.8 and 3.0, 3.5), dead heart (9.9%, 13.3% and 11.0%, 15.0%), stem tunnelling (5.7%, 5.1% and 6.6%, 5.5%) and yield loss (25.2%, 22.7% and 25.8%, 25.4%) and was on par with the resistant check, IS 2205 (2.3, 7.5%, 7.4%, 19.7% and 2.5, 9.0%, 8.2%, 26.9%) during rabi, 2016 and kharif, 2017, respectively.

Key words : Sorghum genotype, Chilo partellus, Screening, Dead heart, Yield/plant, Yield loss