Resistance to the Sorghum Midge in Converted Exotic Sorghum Cultivars¹

Abstract

Sixty sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) lines selected from the sorghum conversion program were evaluated for midge ( Contarinia sorghicola (Coquillett)) damage. Selections from IS 12612C, IS 12666C, and IS 2508C sustained the least damage (<20%), and several other lines also had significantly less damage than the 60 to 100% damage sustained by U.S. cultivars. The implications are that resistance to midge exists among some converted cultivars from the world sorghum collection.