Comparative development of sorghum, redgram and rice breeding population of Sitophilus oryzae (L.) feeding on cereals and split redgram dhal

Abstract

Rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae (L.) mainly attacks whole grains such as wheat, corn, barley and rice and have been found actively breeding in such foods. The host range of S. oryzae now extended to split pulses. An experiment was carried out at the Entomology Laboratory, TNAU, Coimbatore during 2014-2015 to study the comparative development of sorghum, redgram and rice breeding population of S. oryzae feeding on cereals and split redgram dhal. The assessed parameters were survival percentage, per cent mortality and F1 progeny. The per cent mortality was higher in sorghum breeding population while feeding on redgram (98.33%) and rice (44.67%). In case of redgram breeding population per cent mortality was maximum in rice (21.67%) and sorghum (19.67%). The survival percentage was maximum in sorghum population while feeding on sorghum (95 %). F1 progeny emergence of sorghum breeding population was higher while feeding on sorghum (75.67%) and rice (36.67%). In case redgram breeding population F1 progeny emergence was maximum in redgram (62.33%) and sorghum (15.33%), whereas in rice breeding population maximum progeny emergence was observed in rice (72.33%) and sorghum (65.67%). The cereal bred population did not survive on redgram, whereas redgram bred population able to survive on cereals, but the progeny emergence and their development was affected.