Sorghum head-bugs and grain molds in West and Central Africa: I. Host plant resistance and bug–mold interactions on sorghum grains

Abstract

A regional sorghum head-bug and grain mold resistance trial was conducted in 1996 and 1997 at 15 and 13 research stations located in 10 West and Central African countries, respectively. Two cultivars namely IS 14384 and CGM 39/17-2-2 exhibited consistently high levels of resistance both to head-bugs and grain molds over years and localities. Eurystylus oldi was the dominant head-bug species at all localities except in Benin, Chad and Guinea. Sorghum grain mycoflora varied little between sites with genera Phoma and Fusarium dominating, followed by Curvularia. Efficiency of the insecticidal treatment on head-bug incidence partially confirmed the critical role played by head-bugs in aggravating mold infection.

Viability of Fungal Spores Isolated from Sorghum Grains Sampled from the Field, Market and Different Storage Facilities in the Six Agro-ecological Zones of Nigeria

“…Survival and viability of fungal spores is solely dependent on the prevailing environmental conditions of which temperature, humidity, moisture, water activity (a w ), and gas tension forms major part. Findings made from this work revealed that: while almost all the fungal species identified infecting sorghum thus far were also found in the previous work of [16,17,18,19,20,21] in Nigeria, and in Burkina Faso [22,23], Sudan [24,25] Cameroon [26], Zimbabwe [27], South Africa [20,28], Tanzania [29], Americas [26,27] Brazil [30], Argentina [22] India [27,31], South east Asia [32], Europe and Oceania [33] and Australia [22], what is of major concern is the very high viability of the fungal spores in the studied areas. This is clearly indicative of the fact that, the storage facility currently in use in almost all the Agro ecological zones in Nigeria have very little impact in creating an unconducive environment for proliferation of fungal spores.…”

Sorghum head bug infestation and mould infection on the grain quality of sorghum in northern Ghana

“…Female adults deposit eggs on the panicles, soon after booting, and both adults and nymphs suck sap from the developing grain, causing it to shrink, thus reducing yield (Sharma, 1985;Rana and Singh, 1995;Kudadjie-Freeman et al, 2008). Little information is available on head bugs and their activities in Ghana, since their presence in the country was first reported by Ratnadass et al (2003). Ratnadass and Ajayi (1995b) linked head bugs to compact headed sorghum types.…”

“…The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of head bug infestation and mould infection on the grain quality of the breeding lines in the field. (Ratnadass et al, 2003). The bagged samples were preserved at 0°C.…”

Family Farming and the Worlds to Come

“…Furthermore, their photoperiod sensitivity results in a uniform and synchronized flowering which reduces midge damage and in a ripening of grains in dry periods which reduces infestation by panicle-feeding bugs and infection by grain mold (Ratnadass et al 2003). 13 and 17).…”