Habits and Control of the Sorghum Midge, Contarinia sorghicola, on Grain Sorghum.1

1963 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 454-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
George W. Doering ◽  
N. M. Randolph
Keyword(s):  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
Contarinia Sorghicola ◽  
Sorghum Midge ◽  
And Control

Sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola (Coq.), and other causes of grain-sorghum loss in Ghana

1965 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Bowden
Keyword(s):  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
The Other ◽  
Critical Threshold ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Immature Stages ◽  
Differential Attack ◽  
Contarinia Sorghicola ◽  
Sorghum Midge ◽  
North East ◽  
The North

An account is given of the biology and importance of sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola (Coq.), in Ghana. It is distributed throughout the interior savannah areas and because of traffic in grain sorghum (guinea corn) has spread into forest localities and some places in the coastal savannahs. Host-plants comprise all varieties of Sorghum vulgare sens. lat. and the grass Sorghum arundinaceum. Its occurrence in Pennisetum polystachyon has not been confirmed.The biology of C. sorghicola in Ghana does not differ significantly from that described elsewhere. Adult emergence occurs early in the morning and peak oviposition is from 0800 to 1000 hr., shortly after emergence. The majority of spikelets contain only one larva or pupa, but 64 per cent. of immature stages (larvae + pupae) nevertheless occur two or more per spikelet. Density per spikelet is related to rate of infestation, with maximum density at about 2·5 immature stages per spikelet at infestation rates of about 40 per cent. The mean density over two seasons was l·7 immature stages per spikelet. The cycle from egg to adult requires 17 to 21 days to complete.The onset of diapause in larvae and the eventual breaking of diapause may be the consequences of threshold reactions to moisture and temperature, with a cumulative process operating in breaking diapause. It is suggested that observed differences between northern and southern localities in dates of appearance of adults and subsequent infestations indicate that moisture is the critical threshold factor in the north and temperature in the south.Parasites are of little importance. Only Eupelmus popa Gir. has been identified from Ghana, and it exerts no influence on population levels.A most important relation exists between midge infestation and time of main flowering of the crop. When main flowering is early in the season, midge attack is very low, below 5 per cent. or even non-existent, but as dates of flowering are delayed so the percentage of spikelets infested rises rapidly, an infestation of 81 per cent, having been recorded in a late crop. In general, it seems that infestation is heavier in the less severe climate of the Guinea savannah than in the Sudan savannah areas.A sampling method is described in which three categories, ‘sound’, ‘midge attacked’ and ‘others’ (which included all undersized or damaged grains not resulting from midge attack) were set up. In respect of midge, it was shown that attack was evenly distributed over the head of sorghum but that in some cases the ‘others’ category gave highest rates at the bottom of the head. This, it is suggested, may be due to differential attack by various species of Hemiptera, which may be responsible for a considerable proportion of the grains included in the ‘others’ class. Surveys carried out in 1952 and 1953 showed that midge was not a very serious problem, infestation rates above 10–15 per cent, being unusual except in late-flowering crops. On the other hand, losses hi the ‘others’ category were rarely below 15 per cent. and were often well over 30 per cent., indicating a major source of loss.It is confirmed that Nunaba, which typifies the group of varieties in which the glumes remain closed at anthesis, is resistant to midge. It is also confirmed that this resistance breaks down in the absence of a more favoured alternative variety. There is evidence that susceptibility to loss in the ‘others’ category varies between some Nunaba × Belko crosses, one cross, AA226, showing an appreciably smaller loss than two others; the variety Kamolgu may also be less susceptible.It is suggested oft the basis of field observation in Ghana and references to literature that Hemiptera are the primary cause of loss in the ‘others’ class; in Ghana, Riptortus spp. and Mirperus spp. are important. If this damage is consistently serious, the problem of measures needed to reduce losses is complicated. Midge could, in the long run, be controlled or even eliminated as an economic pest by adoption of practices leading to early flowering in periods before the appearance of midge. In Ghana, these periods are given for the main sorghum areas of the north and north-east, and it is suggested that development of varieties of shorter maturity periods would assist by easing the congestion at normal sowing times in May and June. There is no significant relation between percentages recorded in the ‘others’ category and flowering date, so that other methods of control must be looked for, and it is suggested that search for resistant, or less susceptible, varieties offers a promising avenue of approach. Evidence is presented that losses from both midge and ‘others’ can be reduced by a 1 per cent. DDT spray, but chemical control is unlikely to be of general use.The most urgent need is for a general investigation of causes of loss in sorghum, with particular attention to the agents other than midge that are responsible for what appear to be large annual losses. Standard trials covering a range of conditions and flowering dates, and aimed at establishing the economic status of the sorghum midge when related to dates of flowering, are proposed. These would also provide much of the information necessary for the formulation of further programmes for the study of the other agents.

Performance of steers fed grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) of varying sorghum midge (Contarinia sorghicola) resistance

1993 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
DB Strachan ◽  
RD Dillon ◽  
RG Henzell
Keyword(s):  
Sorghum Bicolor ◽  
Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Contarinia Sorghicola ◽  
Feed Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Sorghum Midge ◽  
Moderate Resistance

This experiment examined the association between the level of sorghum midge resistance of a grain sorghum hybrid and its ultilisation by cattle. Twenty-five Hereford steers were placed in individual pens and fed a feedlot ration (80% grain) for 8 weeks containing 1 of the following grain sorghum hybrids: Pacific 810, DK55plus (susceptible to midge); Barrier (low resistance to midge); AQL39/QL36, DK470 (moderate resistance to midge). There was no significant (P>0.05) difference between the hybrids in dry matter intake, liveweight gain, feed conversion efficiency, apparent nitrogen digestibility, and digestibility of the dry matter. No tannins were detected in the grain of any of the hydrids. It was concluded that the development of grain sorghum hybrids resistant to sorghum midge will not affect the utilisation of the grain in steers.

Resistance to sorghum midge (Contarinia sorghicola Coquillet) in grain sorghum

1979 ◽  
Vol 19 (96) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
FD Page
Keyword(s):  
Sorghum Bicolor ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
Breeding Program ◽  
Contarinia Sorghicola ◽  
Breeding Lines ◽  
Sorghum Midge

Standardized levels of infestation of sorghum midge Contarinia sorghicola Coquillet were used to compare the levels of resistance in sorghum cultivars (Sorghum bicolor) in glasshouse experiments at Biloela in Central Queensland. Sorghum heads were reduced to 250 florets and ten female midges were caged over each head on three consecutive days during anthesis. Two breeding lines from the U.S.A., IS 12608C and IS 12664C were superior (P < 0.01) to Alpha and KS 19 in percentage seed set and number of midge progeny produced. The percentage seed set was 50, 54, 22, 12 for IS 12608C, IS 1664C, Alpha and KS 19, respectively. The Indian line Q 13828 was susceptible. Testing with a standardized level of infestation is a useful technique for screening parents in a breeding program aimed at incorporation of midge resistance into agronomically useful hybrid cultivars.

Compensation for reduction in seed set due to sorghum midge (Contarinia sorghicola) in midge-susceptible and midge-resistant sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)

1993 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 193 ◽  
Author(s):  
BA Franzmann ◽  
DG Butler
Keyword(s):  
Sorghum Bicolor ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
Percentage Increase ◽  
Contarinia Sorghicola ◽  
Sorghum Midge ◽  
Damage Compensation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Resistant Genotypes

The relationship between percentage seed set on grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) panicles damaged by sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola (Coquillett), and percentage compensation (percentage increase in weight) of undamaged seed was examined in 11 experiments covering a wide range of environmental variation and incorporating various sorghum midge susceptible and resistant genotypes. In contrast to previous findings where negative compensation was found after sorghum midge damage, compensation was generally positive, but the slope of the response with respect to seed set changed from positive to negative as seed set increased to >30-50%. Expression of the relationship was similar for susceptible and resistant genotypes. The slope of the relationship for seed sets above the point of maximum compensation was -0.51 for sorghum midge susceptible hybrids, -0.42 for resistant genotypes (various lines and hybrids), and -0.38 for resistant hybrid ATx2755/RTx2767. The pooled slope was -0.45.

EVALUATION OF SURVEY METHODS FOR ESTIMATING SORGHUM MIDGE (DIPTERA: CECIDOMYIIDAE) DENSITIES IN GRAIN SORGHUM

1989 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. B. Steward ◽  
T. J. Kring ◽  
W. C. Yearian
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
Population Estimates ◽  
Visual Examination ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Contarinia Sorghicola ◽  
Sorghum Midge ◽  
Examination Method

Six methods for sampling field populations of ovipositing sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola, in grain sorghum panicles were compared to an absolute sampling method. The methods evaluated were the visual, tap, remove, shake, beat-bucket, and grab. Population estimates obtained by visual examination were similar to absolute estimates when population density was low but significantly differed at mean midge densities above 9.2/panicle. The remaining sampling method density estimates were significantly less than the absolute method estimates. The visual examination method was relatively time efficient taking ca. one minute per panicle to complete. The effect of panicle compactness (open, medium, and compact) on the precision of the visual examination was investigated. Accuracy of the visual examination method significantly decreased as panicle compactness increased. This may be a result of either obstructed vision or increased density of midges with compactness or a combination of both.

Weed Control in a Conservation Tillage Rotation in the Texas Blacklands

Weed Science ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 695-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven M. Brown ◽  
James M. Chandler ◽  
John E. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Sorghum Halepense ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
No Till ◽  
Primary Tillage ◽  
And Control

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate weed control systems in a conservation tillage rotation of grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench.] – cotton (Gossypium hirsutumL.) – wheat (Triticum aestivumL.). Herbicide systems included fall and spring/summer inputs of high and low intensity. Tillage regimes were no-till (NT) and reduced-till (RT) systems; the latter included fall primary tillage followed by spring stale seedbed planting. Both tillage systems utilized controlled traffic lanes and wide, raised beds. Effective johnsongrass [Sorghum halepense(L.) Pers. # SORHA] control required intense herbicide inputs at one or both application periods, i.e., in the fall and/or spring/summer. Grain sorghum and cotton yields for the most intense weed control system, which included high inputs in both the fall and spring/summer, were not superior to systems that included high inputs in only one of the two application periods. Seedling johnsongrass emergence occurred before spring planting in RT (but not in NT) in 2 of 3 yr, and control measures were ineffective. After 3 yr, the predominant weeds were johnsongrass and browntop panicum (Panicum fasciculatumSw. # PANFA).

Gall Midges (Cecidomyidae) whose Larvae prevent Seed Production in Grasses (Gramineae)

1931 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. F. Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Contarinia Sorghicola ◽  
Gall Midges ◽  
Sorghum Midge ◽  
Available Information

Among the insects which do serious damage to grasses grown for seed, the larvae of gall midges (Cecidomyidae) are of great importance. Very little is known about their bionomics, except in the case of the Sorghum midge (Contarinia sorghicola), and the Meadow Foxtail midges (Dasyneura alopecuri, Contarinia merceri, and Stenodiplosis geniculati). In view of this and the fact that several grasses are grown for seed with advantage in Great Britain, it has been thought advisable to collect together all the available information.

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