Resistance Mechanism of Sorghum Genotypes Against Shootfly, Atherigona Soccata, Rodani in Rabi Sorghum

Field studies under different population pressure of shootfly (Atherigona soccata), showed that the genotypes RSV 1098, RSV 1188 and RSV 1151 were promising for shootfly resistance and recorded the lowest mean number of eggs per plant and mean percentage of dead hearts at 28 DAE which indicated oviposition non-preference as primary mechanism of resistance. The genotypes RSV 1098, RSV 1188, RSV 1151 exhibited higher recovery of tillers. The correlation studies indicated that seedling height, leaf length and breadth ratio, glossiness, seedling vigor, trichome density, leaf surface wetness were significantly associated with egg laying and % dead hearts caused by shoot fly. Morphological characters such as seedling vigor, leaf glossiness, leaf surface wetness and trichome density appeared as important traits in selection aiming at improvement in resistance in sorghum shootfly.