Varietal Screening of Rice against Pink Stem Borer, Sesamia inferens (Walker)

The pink stem borer (PSB), Sesamia inferens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a serious pest of rice in Andhra Pradesh causing substantial yield loss. This study evaluated the tolerance of eight rice varieties to PSB under greenhouse conditions at ICAR-IIRR, Hyderabad. Test entries were infested with third instar larvae @ 15 larvae/m2 and damage was recorded as dead hearts (%) and white ears (%). All the test entries exhibited varying levels of susceptibility (22.53-39.56%) at 35DAR in vegetative phase. Among tested varieties, PB1 recorded highest overall incidence of mean dead hearts (25.55 %) and white ears (26.05 %) indicating greater susceptibility to S. inferens. In contrast, MTU 1061 (14.73 &10.75%) and TKM 6 (16.44 & 10.41%) exhibited comparatively lower levels of damage. Significantly lower white ear damage due to continuous feeding by PSB larvae in BPT5204, MTU1121 and W1263 with high tillering ability reflects their tolerance. The study highlights the importance of reaction of entries to PSB damage and underscores the importance of detailed studies on identifying tolerant mechanisms which serve as a key component of sustainable pest management.