A simple approach to the identification of shoot-fly tolerance in sorghum

During studies carried out in India, approximately 8000 lines of the world sorghum germ plasm collection were screened for seedling resistance to Atherigona soccata Rond. Most of the genotypes resistant to this pest showed the presence of trichomes on the abaxial surface of the leaf. These trichomed cultivars had distinctive characteristics, which were however evident only during the first 3 weeks. The leaves tended to be more erect and narrower than those of the other cultivars, with a yellow-green glossy appearance, termed 'glossy trait'. These 2 traits are useful in selecting germ plasm for resistance to A. soccat