Preliminary Evaluation of Corchorus spp. for Resistance to Yellow Mite [Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks)], Semilooper (Anomis sabulifera Guen.) and Stem Weevil (Apion corchori Marshall)

Yellow mite [Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks)], semilooper (Anomis sabulifera Guen.) and stem weevil (Apion corchori Marshall) are major economic pests of cultivated jute (Corchorus spp.). Eighty accessions of Corchorus species were evaluated under field infestation, in an augmented randomized block design, against Yellow mite, semilooper and stem weevil. Based on the damage caused by these pests, accessions WCIN-009, WCIN-006, NYM2860 (C. aestuans); WCIJ-116 (C. fascicularis); WCIJ-009, KBA-230 (C. tridens); WCIJ-031 (C. pseudo-capsularis); WCIJ-121 and WCIJ-132 (C. trjlocularis) were identified as moderately resistant against one or more of these three pests. It was also found that none of the accessions evaluated showed high level of resistance against all the three pests together. Further studies under greenhouse/artificial infestation conditions are required to substantiate the results.