1Department of Entomology, C.P. College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar – 385 506, Gujarat, India
Department of Entomology, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur - 313 001, Rajasthan, India
*Corresponding authors’ E-mail : skyadav766530@gmail.com
Online Published on 24 December, 2025.
Five locally available maize cultivars were evaluated under in vitro conditions against S. frugiperda for larval arrestment (developmental arrest), larval-pupal development, food assimilation, leaf trichome density, and plant damage-key parameters indicative of resistance. Larval arrestment and leaf consumption (defoliation) were significantly higher in PMC-6 and the local cultivar, with PMC-6 also exhibiting the highest larval weights on days 9 (0.035 g) and 12 (0.176 g). Mortality was most pronounced in HQPM-1, while pupation peaked in sweet corn. The larval period ranged from 21 to 23 days across genotypes, showing no significant variation. PMC-6 recorded the highest assimilated food and consumed leaf weight, indicating superior palatability. Trichome density varied significantly among cultivars, with sweet corn exhibiting the highest count (29.8 trichomes/mm2). These findings suggest that genotypic traits such as trichome density and nutritional profile play a critical role in modulating FAW larval performance and may inform future resistance breeding strategies.
Cultivar variation, Food assimilation, Host plant resistance, In vitro, Kharif, Larval arrestment, Larval-pupal development, Maize, Spodoptera frugiperda, Trichome density, Zea mays
