Abstract
The European corn borer (ECB) has become a serious pest for maize cultivation in Central and Western Europe. This study was conducted to evaluate resistance against ECB in a cross section of the European maize germplasm. A total of 115 flint and dent inbreds were evaluated for resistance under protected and artificial infestation conditions at two German sites in 1993. Resistance to ECB was assessed by damage rating before harvest, tunnel length in dissected stalks, and relative yield under infestation compared to protected control plots. Means for damage rating of stalks were significantly higher in flint lines than in dent lines. Artificial infestation reduced grain yield by 31% in flint lines and 20% in dent lines. Significant genotypic variances among lines and high genetic ratios (GR) were found in both flint and dent lines for all agronomic and ECB resistance traits. Exceptions were relative yield of stover in both germplasm groups and tunnel length in flint lines. Phenotypic correlations between agronomic and resistance traits were moderate to low. Damage rating was negatively correlated with days to silking and dry matter yield of stover in both germplasm groups. In vitro digestibility of stover was not associated with ECB resistance. Correlations of relative grain yield with tunnel length below the ear and damage rating were significantly negative, even though their magnitude was low. Our results indicate substantial genetic variation among European inbred lines for resistance to the univoltine ECB. Among all resistance traits measured, damage rating of stalks is best suited for assessment of ECB resistance in breeding programs because of its easy recording and high genetic ratio.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barry, D., A.Q. Antonio & L.L. Darrah, 1995. Registration of Mo45, Mo46, andMo47 maize germplasm lines with resistance to European corn borer. Crop Sci 35: 1232–1233.
Barry, D., M.S. Zuber, A.Q. Antonio & L.L. Darrah, 1983. Selection for resistance to the second generation of the European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in maize. J Econ Entomol 76: 392–394.
Buendgen, M.R., J.G. Coors, A.W. Grombacher & W.A. Russell, 1990. European corn borer resistance and cell wall composition of three maize populations. Crop Sci 30: 505–510.
Dhillon, B.S., Chr. Paul, E. Zimmer, P.A. Gurrath, D. Klein & W.G. Pollmer, 1990. Variation and covariation in stover digestibility traits in diallel crosses of maize. Crop Sci 30: 931–936.
Guthrie, W.D., J.A. Hawk & J.L. Jarvis, 1989. Performance of maize inbred line DE811 in hybrid combinations: Resistance to first-and second-generation European corn borers (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). J Econ Entomol 82: 1804–1806.
Guthrie, W.D., W.A. Russell, F.L. Neumann, G.L. Reed & R.L. Grindeland, 1975. Yield losses inmaize caused by different levels of infestation of second-brood European corn borers. Iowa State J Res 50: 239–253.
Guthrie, W.D., W.A. Russell, G.L. Reed, A.R. Hallauer & D.F. Cox, 1978. Methods of evaluatingmaize for sheath-collar-feeding resistance to the European corn borer. Maydica 23: 45–53.
Hudon, M. & M.S. Chiang, 1985. Resistance and tolerance of maize germplasm to the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) and its maturity in Quebec. Maydica 30: 329–337.
Hudon, M. & M.S. Chiang, 1991. Evaluation of resistance of maize germplasm to univoltine European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) and relationship with maize maturity in Quebec. Maydica 36: 69–74.
Jarvis, J.L., R.L. Clark, W.D. Guthrie, E.C. Berry & W.A. Russell, 1984. The relationship between second-generation European corn borers and stalk rot fungi inmaize hybrids. Maydica 24: 247–263.
Jennings, J.W., W.A. Russell & W.D. Guthrie, 1974. Genetics of resistance to first-and second-brood European corn borer. Crop Sci 14: 394–398.
Klenke, J.R., W.A. Russell & W.D. Guthrie, 1986. Grain yield reduction caused by second generation European corn borer in BS9 corn synthetic. Crop Sci 26: 859–863.
Klun, J.A. & T.A. Brindley, 1966. Role of 6methoxybenzoxazolinone in inbred resistance of host plant (maize) to first-brood larvae of European corn borer. J Econ Entomol 59: 711–718.
Langenbruch, G.A. & D. Szewczyk, 1995. Maisz;#x00FC;nsler (Ostrinia nubilalis) asMais imS#x00FC;den Nordrhein-Westfalens. Nachrichten-bl Deut Pflanzenschutzd 47: 326.
Lew, H., A. Adler & E. Edinger, 1991. Moniliformin and the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis). Mycotoxin Res 7A: 71–76.
Melchinger, A.E., G.A. Schmidt & H.H. Geiger, 1986. Evaluation of NIRS for predicting grain and stover quality traits in maize. Plant Breeding 97: 20–29.
Nyhus, K.A., W.A. Russell & W.D. Guthrie, 1989. Changes in agronomic traits associated with recurrent selection in two maize synthetics. Crop Sci 29: 269–275.
Panda, N. & G.S. Khush, 1995. Host Plant Resistance to Insects, 1st Ed CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK.
Pesho, G.R., F. F. Dicke & W.A. Russell, 1965. Resistance of inbreed lines of corn (Zea mays L.) to the second brood of the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis (H#x00FC;bner). Iowa State J Sci 40: 85–98.
Rojanaridpiched, C., V.E. Gracen, H.L. Everett, J.G. Coors, B.F. Pugh & P. Bouthyette, 1984. Multiple factor resistance in maize to European corn borer. Maydica 24: 305–315.
Russell, W.A.,W.D. Guthrie & R.L. Grindeland, 1974. Breeding for resistance in maize to first and second generation broods of the European corn borer. Crop Sci 14: 725–727.
Scheffe, H., 1959. The Analysis of Variance. J. Wiley & Sons, New York.
Sch#x00F6;n, C.C., A.E. Melchinger, M. Lee, W.L. Woodman & W.D. Guthrie, 1991. RFLP mapping of QTLs for resistance to European corn borer inmaize. IV.P20. Eucarpia Symposium on Genetic Manipulation in Plant Breeding. May 26–30, Reus/Salou Tarragona, Spain.
Sch#x00F6;n, C.C., M. Lee, A.E. Melchinger, W.D. Guthrie & W.L. Woodmann, 1993. Mapping and characterization of quantitative trait loci affecting resistance against second-generation European corn borer in maize with the aid of RFLPs. Heredity 70: 648–659.
Scott, G.E., W.D. Guthrie & G.R. Pesho, 1967. Effect of second-brood European corn borer infestation on 45 single-cross corn hybrids. Crop Sci 7: 229–231.
Shapiro, S.S. & M.B. Wilk, 1965. An analysis of variance test for normality (complete samples). Biometrika 52: 591–611.
Snedecor, G.W. & W.G. Cochran, 1980. Statistical Methods, 7th Ed. Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa.
Utz, H.F., 1991. PLABSTAT. Ein Computerprogamm zur statistischen Analyse von pflanzenzüchterischen Experimenten. Institut für Pflanzenzüchtung, Saatgutforschung und Populationsgenetik. Universität Hohenheim.
Utz, H.F., F.W. Schnell & I.S. Singh, 1978. Maturity corrected yield (MCY) as a way to reduce genotype-environment interactions in maize trials. Cereal Res Comm 6: 339–404.
Williams, J.S., 1962. The evaluation of a selection index. Biometrics 18: 375–393.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Melchinger, A., Kreps, R., Späth, R. et al. Evaluation of early-maturing European maize inbreds for resistance to the European corn borer. Euphytica 99, 115–125 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018305316853
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018305316853