Resistance of different maize varieties against flour beetles, Tribolium casteneum and Tribolium confusum (Coleoptera:Tenebrionidae)

• Published in: Pure and applied biology Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 1061 - 1070
• Main Author: Kumari, Sabeeta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Quetta International Society of Pure and Applied Biology 10.09.2017
• Subjects: Beetles; Biology; Body weight loss; Cereal crops; Cereals; Coleoptera; Coloration; Corn; Cotton; Crops; Flour; Food; GDP; Grain; Gross Domestic Product; Humidity; Infestation; Insects; Laboratories; Plant resistance; Relative humidity; Rice; Seed coats; Tenebrionidae; Tribolium castaneum; Tribolium confusum; Tropical environments; Weight loss measurement; Wheat; Zea mays; Pakistan
• ISSN: 2304-2478; 2304-2478
• DOI: 10.19045/bspab.2017.600113

Maize is an important cereal crop, which is cultivated in all countries of tropics and sub-tropics. In the world, it ranks 3rd grown crop. In Pakistan, maize is the fourth largest cultivated crop after wheat, cotton and rice. It is observed that common flour beetles including the red flour beetle and confused flour beetle are causing severe damage upon the maize crop. We have chosen four maize varieties such as Kachan, Neelum, Popcorn and White maize, because of their great importance mostly used by humans as nutrient/ food. This study was carried out from September 2015 to February 2016. Flour beetles were introduced separately on above four maize varieties. Therefore, the research was carried out to know about the most resistant varieties of maize. During laboratory experiments, we took 100g of each variety and reared under ambient conditions at 27°C±5°C and 22±5°C, 60%-65% relative humidity and with photoperiod of 10 hour produce two generations of both flour beetles. The percentage of weight loss was taken as criteria for measuring the resistance of these varieties against both flour beetles. We compared susceptibility and resistance of both flour beetles on four varieties. It was observed that maximum weight loss occurs on Kachan variety by both flour beetles while minimum on Popcorn, 21.63gand 2.56g respectively. On the basis of grain weight loss and seed damage, Popcorn variety of maize was the most resistant variety to both species as compared to other varieties. The resistance of Popcorn variety was due to hardness of seed coat, rough seed coat and coloration. On the basis of present observation, it is assessed that by growing resistant varieties, infestation of maize by flour beetles can be controlled.