Susceptibility Evaluates of some Genotypes of Sorghum Against The shoot fly Atherigona soccata Rondani (Diptera: Muscidae).

Abstract

The shoot fly (Atherigona soccata) is one of the most important pests attacking sorghum, maize and mille. Given the lack of previous studies on the insect in Syria, the research aimed to study some aspects of biology, damage of this pest were conducted. Females started ovipositor on sorghum seedlings one week after emergence. Adults laid more eggs on leaf three and leaf four. Larvae tunneled in the seedlings causing wilt and finally a dead heart to sorghum seedlings. About 94.6% of the mature larvae were observed to make an exit hole in the crown of the seedlings stalk and pupate inside the stalk near the soil surface, and 5.4% in the soil besides stalk. There were significant differences between Somme tested sorghum genotypes in relation to shoot fly resistance. There were significant differences between Somme tested sorghum genotypes in seedling dead hearts, which ranged between 39.46% for the genotype Mayo, and 3.16% for the genotype Ezraa7.