Tuesday, November 6, 2007
169-1

Evaluation of Buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.] Genotypes for Chinch Bug (Blissus occiduus Barber) Resistance.

Desalegn D. Serba1, Robert C. Shearman1, Tiffany M. Heng-Moss1, Donald J. Lee2, Gautam Sarath1, and Bekele G. Abeyo1. (1) University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 377 Plant Science Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583, (2) Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 262 Plant Science Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583

The western chinch bug, Blissus occiduus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) is an important insect pest of buffalograss turf in Nebraska. Fifteen diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid genotypes were evaluated for chinch bug resistance under greenhouse conditions using second generation chinch bugs. The buffalograsses Prestige and 378 served as resistant and susceptible control, respectively. The experimental design was a completely randomized design with eight replications. Ten adult chinch bugs collected from infested buffalograss fields were introduced into caged single clone buffalograss genotypes at the same growth stage. Plant damage was assessed using a 1-5 visual rating scale at three days interval for until 378, the susceptible control reached a mean damage rate of 4.0 or higher. Damage rating taken at 26 and 29 days after infestation (DAI) were subjected to statistical analysis. Highly significant differences were observed among the genotypes. The mean damage rating at 29 DAI was used to categorize the genotypes for resistance. The test genotypes ranged from moderately resistant to moderately susceptible. Genotypes Density, 196, 184, Bowie and Legacy were found to be moderately resistant (damage rating >2, but ≤3), while NE2990 and NE2838 were moderately susceptible (damage rating>3, but ≤4). These results document useful variations to chinch bug feeding among the buffalograss genotypes and imply that buffalograss polyploidy does not impact the level of chinch bug resistance.