HPSI of date palm (Phoenix dactyliferaL.)varieties/ genotypes against fruit borers, Batrachedra amydraulaand Arenipses sabellain hot arid region

Sm Haldhar,D Singh,Rs Singh

doi:10.53911/jae.2021.11103

Abstract

Host plant resistance is an important component for management of the fruit borers, Batrachedra amydraula and Arenipses sabella owing to difficulties associated with its chemical and biological control. A total of 32 date palm varieties/ genotypes were evaluated for screening against the fruit borers in hot arid region. The results showed that the percentage of fruit infestation of fruit borers, B. amydraula and A. sabella on tested varieties/ genotypes of datepalm varied significantly. Pooled data showed that the Migra, Tayer, Javantri and Medjool were found highly tolerant varieties/ genotypes with fruit infestation (5.32%, 8.40%, 8.40%, 8.78% of B. amydraula and 4.33%, 5.27%, 5.62%, 5.52% of A. sabella, respectively). Whereas, the varieties/ genotypes Zahidi, Suriya, Khasab and Khuneizi had fruit infestation (29.88%, 28.33%, 28.27%, 27.05% of B. amydraula and 20.67%, 19.83%, 17.40%, 19.95% of A. sabella, respectively) and declared as highly infestation varieties/ genotypes to the fruit borers. Lower values of host plant susceptibility indices based on fruit infestation (HPSI) were recorded on resistance varieties/ genotypes, Migra, Tayer, Javantri and Medjool (31.63%, 49.97%, 49.97%, 52.25% of B. amydraula and 40.16%, 48.81%, 52.05%, 51.13% of A. sabella, respectively) which could be used as a source of resistance for developing date palm varieties/ genotypes resistant to fruit borers.

Highlights

Date palm cultivation is traditional to the arid zones and it is prone to biotic stresses that have detrimental effects on its growth, India, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab are major states for datepalm cultivation
Development of date palm (Arenipses sabella), red palm weevil varieties/ genotypes tolerant to fruit borers has been limited in India owing to inadequate information on the sources of plant traits associated with tolerant to pest infestations
It was observed that the genotype Zahidi showed maximum host plant susceptibility indices (HPSI) based on fruit infestation i.e., 177.77% followed by Suriya showing 168.55 % HPSI against fruit borer, B. amydraula

Summary

Introduction

Date palm cultivation is traditional to the arid zones and it is prone to biotic stresses that have detrimental effects on its growth, India, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab are major states for datepalm cultivation. Development of date palm (Arenipses sabella), red palm weevil varieties/ genotypes tolerant to fruit borers has been limited in India owing to inadequate information on the sources of plant traits associated with tolerant to pest infestations. The present study was designed to screen of date palm varieties/ genotypes for tolerance against fruit borers in terms of fruit infestation under field conditions.

Results

Conclusion