Influence of Artificial Infestation with Western Corn Rootworm Eggs on Maize Morphology

A field experiment was carried out in Bečej (Serbia) during 2014 with Serbian maize cultivar NS-640. In experimental field, 96 plants were selected, marked, and arranged in 48 pairs. In each pair, one plant was artificially infested in root zone with 4 mL of Diabrotica v. sp. virgifera eggs 0.125% agar suspension (D plants). The maximum measured height on D (infested) and C (control) plants was 295 cm and 320 cm, respectively. The maximum measured diameter on D plants was 27.93 mm and on C plants was 32.13 mm respectively. The maximum recorded number of leaves was 15 on both categories. Statistical analysis shows that differences between plant diameters and the number of leaves between D and C plants are significant