Validation of a rapid screening technique of the peanut breeding lines for resistance to Lepidoptera

Incorporation of insect plant resistance represents a low-input management IPM strategy and has not been fully explored for peanut. The incorporation of plant resistance to insects in commercial cultivars of peanut demands the screening of germ plasm during the breeding program. This is particularly relevant with the possible cancelation of chlorpyrifos in the U.S., and reports of pest resistance to insecticides, which could remove the limited alternatives for management several economic pests of peanut in the southeastern United States. The few studies that have screened the performance of peanut genotypes for resistance to Lepidoptera indicated the potential to development resistant cultivars by antibiosis with negative effects in the development time, size, and survival of the larvae. The overall objective of this project was to validate a rapid technique to screening genotypes with resistance in peanut to Lepidoptera. The project validated a small plant growth unit to evaluate resistance based on larval survival and development, and plant injury rating in 15 UF lines of peanut, and the commercial cultivar Georgia-06O.