Screening of wild sugarcane (Erianthus) against internode borer Chilo sacchariphagus indicus (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Sri Lanka

Different accessions of Erianthus (wild sugarcane) were screened to identify resistant parents and their potential as trap crops against sugarcane internode borer; Chilo sacchariphagus indicus (INB) in Sri Lanka. Twenty-one accessions of Erianthus and five sugarcane varieties were assessed by considering leaf infestations, formation of dead hearts, stalk infestations, oviposition preference, and larval survival. The nature of infestations by INB on Erianthus is similar to that on sugarcane. More leaf infestations and dead heart formation were observed on Erianthus than on sugarcane. However, more stalk infestations were observed on sugarcane than on Erianthus. The highest leaf infestations were observed in IND 8180 while zero infestations were observed in MOL 4503. Also, IND 8180 had the highest incidences of dead hearts up to 150 days after planting. SL 96 128 and Co 775 had the highest stalk infestations while SL 83 06 had the lowest. MOL 4503 recorded zero stalk infestations at the time of harvesting. Oviposition and larval performance tests recorded, the highest and lowest number of eggs per plant in IND 8180 and MOL 4503 respectively. According to the larval survival percentages, the highest value was recorded in SL 96 128 while the lowest values were from MOL 4503 and SL 83 06. Among the tested varieties, IND 8180 was found to be highly susceptible while MOL 4503 was the highly resistant for INB Therefore, MOL 4503 exhibits promise as a resistant parent for breeding sugarcane cultivars with increased resistance, and IND 8180 is a viable candidate for further research as a possible trap crop against Chilo sacchariphagus indicus.