Susceptibility of pigeonpea and some of its wild relatives to predation by Helicoverpa armigera: implications for breeding resistant cultivars
P. W. C. Green A , H. C. Sharma B , P. C. Stevenson A C and M. S. J. Simmonds AA Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK.
B International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid tropics, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh 502 324, India.
C Corresponding author; Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Kent ME4 4TB, UK. Email: p.stevenson@kew.org
Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57(7) 831-836 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR05281
Submitted: 2 August 2005 Accepted: 19 January 2006 Published: 14 July 2006
Abstract
Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), the podborer, is a pest of considerable economic importance to crop production across Asia and Australia. The larvae cause significant damage to many crops including the cultivated pigeonpea, Cajanus cajan. We have conducted oviposition and pod feeding-damage studies with H. armigera on 5 varieties of C. cajan, 6 other Cajanus species, and Rhynchosia bracteata. The species could be divided into podborer-resistant [C. scarabaeoides (ICPW 83), C. cajanifolius, C. sericeus, C. albicans, and C. platycarpus], moderately resistant [Rhynchosia bracteata and some varieties of C. cajan], or susceptible [C. cajan (ICPL 87)]. At 100 μg/g a methanol extract of the susceptible cultivar of Cajanus (ICPL 87) stimulated significantly more oviposition than a similar extract of the resistant species C. scarabaeoides, ICPW 83. Pod surface extracts of both ICPW 83 and ICPL 87 contained isoquercitrin, quercetin, and quercetin-3-methyl ether, although they were present at much lower concentrations in ICPW 83. A fourth compound, 3-hydroxy-4-prenyl-5-methoxystilbene-2-carboxylic acid (stilbene), was detected in a methanol extract of the pod surfaces of ICPL 87. A methanol extract of ICPL 87, from which the stilbene had been removed, stimulated oviposition when paired with the whole extract. These results are discussed in relation to the selection of varieties with morphological and chemical characters that can be used for developing cultivars less susceptible to podborer.
Additional keywords: Cajanus cajan, C. scarabaeoides, Rhynchosia, quercetin, stilbene.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Mr G. Pampapathy, Mr Rakesh Kumar, Mr V. V. Rao, Mr Madhusan Reddy, and Mr Raja Rao (ICRISAT) for technical assistance. We thank Dr B. Schrire (Herbarium, RBG, Kew) for helpful discussions on Cajanus morphology. This project was funded by a Department for International Development (DFID) Competitive Research Facility Grant [R 7029 (C)] to ICRISAT/NRI/Kew. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily of DFID. This work was carried out under a Defra licence issued to Kew under the Import and Export (Plant Health, Great Britain) Order and the Plant Pest (Great Britain) Order 1993.
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