How to translate text using browser tools
1 August 2014 St. Augustinegrass Germplasm Resistant to Blissus insularis (Hemiptera: Blissidae)
Katharine M. Youngs, Susana R. Milla-Lewis, Rick L. Brandenburg, Yasmin J. Cardoza
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walter) Kuntze) is an economically important turfgrass in the southeastern United States. However, this turf species is prone to southern chinch bug, Blissus insularis Barber (Heteroptera: Blissidae) outbreaks. This insect is the most destructive pest of St. Augustinegrass wherever this turfgrass is grown. Host plant resistance has historically been an effective management tool for southern chinch bug. Since 1973, the ‘Floratam’ St. Augustinegrass cultivar effectively controlled southern chinch bug in the southeast. However, southern chinch bug populations from Florida and Texas have now circumvented this resistance, through mechanisms still unknown. Therefore, identifying and deployingnewcultivars with resistance to the southern chinch bug is imperative to combat this pest in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner. Currently, the number of cultivars with resistance against southern chinch bug is limited, and their efficacy, climatic adaptability, and aesthetic characters are variable. Hence, the main focus of this study is the identification of alternative sources of resistance to southern chinch bugs in previously uncharacterized St. Augustinegrass plant introductions (PIs) and its closely related, crossbreeding species, Pembagrass (Stenotaphrum dimidiatum (L.) Brongniart). The PIs exhibited a wide range of responses to southern chinch bug feeding, as indicated by damage ratings. Damage ratings for seven PIs grouped with our resistant reference cultivars. Moreover, nine PIs exhibited antibiosis, based on poor development of southern chinch bug neonates, when compared with our susceptible reference cultivars. Altogether our study has produced strong support to indicate these materials are good candidates for future southern chinch bug resistance breeding in St. Augustinegrass.

© 2014 Entomological Society of America
Katharine M. Youngs, Susana R. Milla-Lewis, Rick L. Brandenburg, and Yasmin J. Cardoza "St. Augustinegrass Germplasm Resistant to Blissus insularis (Hemiptera: Blissidae)," Journal of Economic Entomology 107(4), 1688-1694, (1 August 2014). https://doi.org/10.1603/EC14044
Received: 4 February 2014; Accepted: 1 June 2014; Published: 1 August 2014
JOURNAL ARTICLE
7 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
antibiosis
antixenosis
host plant resistance
southern chinch bug
Stenotaphrum secundatum
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top