RESISTANCE OF CORN (ZEA MAYS L.) GENOTYPES TO NATURAL INFESTATION OF FALL ARMYWORM (SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA) (J. E. SMITH, 1797) (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) IN MOZAMBIQUE

Abstract

This work aimed to evaluate the resistance of maize genotypes under natural infestation of fall armyworm, known as Spodoptera frugiperda, a polyphagous and highly mobile pest of migratory insects, it causes considerable economic losses in several important crops, has more than 350 hosts of plants, due to its migratory and devastating nature, the fall armyworm is considered to be the main pest of the corn crop, being responsible for causing production losses from 17.7 to 55.6% of the grain yield, which The main control method for this pest insect species is the use of synthetic insecticides, whose incorrect use has been changing the number of applications and decreasing their efficiency, allowing the emergence of populations of resistant insects and negatively affecting the environment, the use of resistant varieties is an agroecological management strategy, for this purpose a field experiment was conducted, using a randomized block design (DBC), with 10 treatments and three replications. The damage of S. frugiperda was evaluated using a visual scale of notes and the monitoring of population fluctuation was carried out weekly, there was a significant difference regarding the level of damage in the samples taken at 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49 days after emergence, the highest pest densities were observed in the Gema, ZM523, SY644, SY5944 and SC403 genotypes, the Namuli, PAN53 and SC403 genotypes showed better grain yield.