Characterization of peanut cultivars to damage Stegasta bosquella (Chambers, 1875) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

Abstract

We evaluated the strength of four growth habit of peanut cultivars creeping and five cultivars of erect growth habit to damage Stegasta bosquella (Chambers, 1875) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) under field conditions during the rainy season, in the years 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. The cultivars used in the experiments were: IAC 147, IAC 213, IAC Caiapó and IAC Runner 886 (runner) and IAC Tatu ST, IAC 5, IAC 8112, IAC 22 e IAC 88-1 (erect). The design adopted was randomized blocks with split plot over time, and four replications. For infestation of S. bosquella , weekly evaluations were done 18 to 67 days after emergence (DAE), with caterpillars count and damage assessments. For counting the number of shoots per plant, they collected up five plants per plot from the 30, 60 and 90 DAE. Regardless of cultivating major infestations of S. bosquella occur from 53 to 67 DAE. The IAC Runner 886 cultivar has the highest emission apical shoots a desirable feature in plant defense in relation to S. bosquella .