Development of Open-Pollinated Varieties, Non-Conventional Hybrids and Inbred Lines of Tropical Maize with Resistance to Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), at CIMMYT

Abstract

As part of the overall improvement of maize, Zea mays L., the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has been working to develop tropical maize materials with improved levels of resistance to fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), and good agronomic qualities. Efficient mass rearing and infestation techniques have been developed, many of which have been adopted or adapted by other FAW host plant resistance workers. Our initial efforts to develop FAW resistance consisted of a population improvement approach. Recently, CIMMYT's maize insect resistance improvement program has been amplified to include screening and development of new sources of resistance, international testing of these sources, and inbred line and `non-conventional' hybrid development, in addition to the continuing development of open-pollinated varieties.