Potentiality of botanical agents for the management of post harvest insects of maize: a review.

Natural products derived from plants are emerging as potent biorational alternatives to synthetic insecticides for the integrated management of post harvest insects of maize. In this paper, effectiveness of botanicals including plant extracts, essential oils, their isolated pure compounds, plant based nano formulations and their mode of action against storage insects have been reviewed with special reference to maize. Plant based insecticides found to be the most promising means of controlling storage insects of maize in an eco friendly and sustainable manner. This article also throws light on the commercialization of botanicals, their limitations, challenges and future trends of storage insect management.

Role of morphological traits and cell wall components in imparting resistance to pink stem borer, Sesamia inferens Walker in maize.

Host Plant Resistance (HPR) is the most important component for sustainable management of insect pests. The purpose of the present work was to understand the role of various morphological and biochemical factors as defense mechanism and their interaction on different biological parameters attributed to survival and development of pink stem borer (PSB), Sesamia inferens Walker in maize. The resistant and moderately resistant genotypes (DMRE 63, CM 500 and WNZ Exotic pool) suffered least leaf injury rating (LIR), dead hearts (DH%), percentage stem tunneling (ST%), number of entry/exit holes (E/EH) and showed deleterious effects on biological parameters of pink stem borer as compared to susceptible ones (CM 202 and BML 6). Resistance index among the genotypes varied from 0.11 to 0.46. The variation in morphological traits such as number of nodes, internode distance and stem diameter could not distinguish all the resistant genotypes from that of susceptible genotypes in terms of its mean value. Higher levels of biochemical constituents, viz., p-Coumaric acid (p-CA), ferulic acid (FA), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were observed in resistant genotypes compared to susceptible ones. Antibiosis was expressed in terms of reduced pupal weight when fed on WNZ Exotic pool, whereas larval weight and larval survival affected when fed on DMRE 63. Higher concentration of p-CA content in pith of resistant maize genotypes prolonged the pupal period of pink stem borer. Higher concentration of p-CA and FA contents in rind reduced the adult emergence, as they showed significant negative correlation between them. The larval period was prolonged with higher levels of ADF and ADL contents in maize genotypes either in rind or both rind and pith as both ADF and ADL content showed a significant positive correlation with the larval period. The Pearson correlation analysis of most of the biochemical constituents revealed significant negative correlation with damage parameters. The correlation coefficients between p-CA with DH (%), ST (%) and E/EH were r= -0.9642**, r= -0.9363**, and r= -0.9646**, respectively. Similarly, the correlation coefficients between FA with DH (%), ST (%) and E/EH were r= -0.9217*, r= -0.9563**, and r= -0.9434**, respectively and ADF with DH (%), ST (%) and E/EH were r= -0.9506**, r= -0.9611**, and r= -0.9709**, respectively. The study confirms that stem damage parameters can also be used as selection criteria along with LIR to identify resistant genotypes against pink stem borer. Based on the correlation analysis it was concluded that resistance to pink stem borer in maize is the result of interaction of several morphological and biochemical traits rather than a single factor. The findings obtained from the present study can be utilised in pink stem borer resistance breeding programmes to enhance and diversify the basis of resistance.

Insecticide susceptibility vis-à-vis molecular variations in geographical populations of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. smith) in India.

In an emergency response to the introduction, subsequent detection and rapid spread of the invasive insect pest fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) in the country, Government of India offered ad-hoc approval for few pesticide molecules namely, emamectin benzoate, spinetoram, chlorantraniliprole, novaluron, thiodicarb, and λ-cyhalothrin for FAW management in corn crop across the country. Five major maize (corn) growing geographical areas (i.e., Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Tamil Nadu) were selected during the main crop season of 2020 (Oct-Nov), and sampled for the target-insect populations. The insect populations were lab-reared on maize leaves (15-20 days old); the F1 generation insects (third instar, 25-30 mg/larva) were subjected to bioassay to determine susceptibility levels of FAW against ad-hoc recommended insecticides. The previously reported target-site molecular variations in the genes ace, encoding acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and vgsc, encoding voltage-gated sodium channel were analyzed. Among the five test-populations, Bihar test-population recorded least susceptibility to all the test-pesticides, whereas the South Indian populations (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu) were found most susceptible. North Indian and South Indian test-insect populations formed two distinct groups in terms of susceptibility levels, speculatively on account of prevailing climatic factors. Being the population with least ace mutation frequency, but with the higher resistance ratio for all the test-pesticides, Bihar insect population implies a bigger role of broad range detoxification machinery than the narrow scope of target site insensitivity. Though, resistance has not developed to the recommended insecticides by FAW, except the case of low-medium resistance development; which is better explained due to behavioural avoidance of synthetic pyrethroid (λ-cyhalothrin). However, there is no room for complacency. Resistance-monitoring tools such as location/region-specific determination of discriminating diagnostic concentrations/doses for FAW in recommended insecticides are to be devised at the earliest. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-022-03303-2.

Leaf Damage Based Phenotyping Technique and Its Validation Against Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), in Maize.

Globally, maize is an important cereal food crop with the highest production and productivity. Among the biotic constraints that limit the productivity of maize, the recent invasion of fall armyworm (FAW) in India is a concern. The first line of strategy available for FAW management is to evaluate and exploit resistant genotypes for inclusion in an IPM schedule. Screening for resistant maize genotypes against FAW is in its infancy in India, considering its recent occurrence in the country. The present work attempts to optimize screening techniques suited to Indian conditions, which involve the description of leaf damage rating (LDR) by comparing injury levels among maize genotypes and to validate the result obtained from the optimized screening technique by identification of lines potentially resistant to FAW under artificial infestation. Exposure to 20 neonate FAW larvae at the V5 phenological stage coupled with the adoption of LDR on a 1-9 scale aided in preliminary characterize maize genotypes as potentially resistant, moderately resistant, and susceptible. The LDR varies with genotype, neonate counts, and days after infestation. The genotypes, viz., DMRE 63, DML-163-1, CML 71, CML 141, CML 337, CML 346, and wild ancestor Zea mays ssp. parviglumis recorded lower LDR ratings against FAW and can be exploited for resistance breeding in maize.

Induction of cell wall phenolic monomers as part of direct defense response in maize to pink stem borer (Sesamia inferens Walker) and non-insect interactions.

Pink stem borer (PSB) causes considerable yield losses to maize. Plant-insect interactions have significant implications for sustainable pest management. The present study demonstrated that PSB feeding, mechanical wounding, a combination of mechanical wounding and PSB regurgitation and exogenous application of methyl jasmonate have induced phenolic compound mediated defense responses both at short term (within 2 days of treatment) and long term (in 15 days of treatment) in leaf and stalk tissues of maize. The quantification of two major defense related phenolic compounds namely p-Coumaric acid (p-CA) and ferulic acid (FA) was carried out through ultra-fast liquid chromatography (UFLC) at 2 and 15 days after imposing the above treatments. The p-CA content induced in leaf tissues of maize genotypes were intrinsically higher when challenged by PSB attack at V3 and V6 stages in short- and long-term responses. Higher p-CA content was observed in stalk tissues upon wounding and regurgitation in short- and long-term responses at V3 and V6 stages. Significant accumulation of FA content was also observed in leaf tissues in response to PSB feeding at V3 stage in long-term response while at V6 stage it was observed both in short- and long-term responses. In stalk tissues, methyl jasmonate induced higher FA content in short-term response at V3 stage. However, at V6 stage PSB feeding induced FA accumulation in the short-term while, wounding and regurgitation treatment-induced defense responses in the long-term. In general, the resistant (DMRE 63, CM 500) and moderately resistant genotypes (WNZ ExoticPool) accumulated significantly higher contents of p-CA and FA content than susceptible ones (CM 202, BML 6) in most of the cases. The study indicates that phenolic mediated defense responses in maize are induced by PSB attack followed by wounding and regurgitation compared to the other induced treatments. Furthermore, the study confirmed that induced defense responses vary with plant genotype, stage of crop growth, plant tissue and short and long-term responses. The results of the study suggested that the Phenolic acids i.e. p-CA and FA may contribute to maize resistance mechanisms in the maize-PSB interaction system.

Coccygidium transcaspicum (Kokujev) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) parasitizing larvae of invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in India.

The parasitoid Coccygidium transcaspicum (Kokujev) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae) was reared from fall armyworm or Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in maize fields in South India (Telangana) during 2019. It is the first report of a host for C. transcaspicum and the first report of C. transcaspicum as a parasitoid of S. frugiperda across the globe. The present study contains the first report from India and the Oriental region, provides morphological identification details of C. transcaspicum and comparison notes from its closely allied species C. melleum (Roman) which is basically an Afrotropical species.

Two-generation marker-aided backcrossing for rapid conversion of normal maize lines to quality protein maize (QPM).

The low nutritive value of maize endosperm protein is genetically corrected in quality protein maize (QPM), which contains the opaque 2 gene along with numerous modifiers for kernel hardness. We report here a two generation marker-based backcross breeding program for incorporation of the opaque 2 gene along with phenotypic selection for kernel modification in the background of an early maturing normal maize inbred line, V25. Using the flanking marker distances from opaque 2 gene in the cross V 25 xCML 176, optimum population size for the BC(2) generation was computed in such a way that at least one double recombinant could be obtained. Whole genome background selection in the BC(2) generation identified three plants with 93 to 96% recurrent parent genome content. The three BC(2)F(2) families derived from marker identified BC(2) individuals were subjected to foreground selection and phenotypic selection for kernel modification. The tryptophan concentration in endosperm protein was significantly enhanced in all the three classes of kernel modification viz., less than 25%, 25--50% and more than 50% opaqueness. BC(2)F(3) lines developed from the hard endosperm kernels were evaluated for desirable agronomic and biochemical traits in replicated trials and the best line was chosen to represent the QPM version of V25, with tryptophan concentration of 0.85% in protein. The integrated breeding strategy reported here can be applied to reduce genetic drag as well as the time involved in a conventional line conversion program, and would prove valuable in rapid development of specialty corn germ plasm.