Abstract
ABSTRACT The sugarcane spittlebug, Mahanarva fimbriolata (Walker) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) is an economically important pest of sugarcane in Brazil. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a greenhouse methodology to screen large sugarcane populations for resistance to spittlebug Mahanarva fimbriolata. A resistant and a susceptible genotype (H. Kawandang and SP81-3250) were first used to determine adequate days after infestation and levels of infestation (number of nymphs per plant) for comparing the resistance of genotypes. Then, 74 sugarcane genotypes including three susceptible and three resistant controls were screened for resistance. The screening method consists in infesting single-tiller plants supported in a small plant growth unit and assessing the damage by using a 1-5 visual damage score. Our data suggest screening with four to six nymphs per plant and the damage score assessment at least 21 days after infestation. The screening technique was proved reliable as susceptible and resistant controls were placed in their respective resistance category. Three genotypes were classified as resistant while the majority of genotypes were classified as susceptible to spittlebug, indicating the need of breeding for resistance.
Highlights
Spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) are widespread pests of sugarcane and pasture grasses in the Neotropics (Thompson 2004; Carvalho and Webb 2005; Cryan and Svenson 2010)
All tested host plants were obtained from the Germplasm Unit of the Sugarcane Breeding Program from the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), municipality of Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil
74 sugarcane genotypes were screened for resistance to spittlebug, including some controls with known reaction to spittlebug (Garcia et al 2011; Guimarães et al 2007; Dinardo-Miranda et al 2014)
Summary
Spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) are widespread pests of sugarcane and pasture grasses in the Neotropics (Thompson 2004; Carvalho and Webb 2005; Cryan and Svenson 2010). M. fimbriolata is considered the major spittlebug species attacking sugarcane in Brazil due to its distribution at the southeastern and northeastern regions, main sugarcane-producing areas of the country, and the severity of damage caused. This pest has become an important sugarcane pest since Brazil started to abolish crop burning as it used to reduce pest population either directly by killing the insects or indirectly by removing organic matter from the field (Cheavegatti-Gianotto et al 2011). The industrial processes are affected, resulting in lower ethanol and sugar production (Ravaneli et al 2006; 2011; Garcia et al 2010)
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