Anitha Chirumamilla, Laurence Charlet, Brent Hulke, R Aiken and Janet Knodel
Abstract: Sunflower Helianthus annuus L. is one of the major oil seed crops grown in the USA. with a highest estimated cultivated acreage of 975,000 acres in North Dakota. Besides diseases and weeds, insects are one of the major causes for yield losses. An average of 9-10% yield losses was attributed to insect damage for the year 2010. Sunflower, being native to North America, serves as a very attractive host to many stalk and seed infesting insects. The major seed infesting insects are banded sunflower moth, sunflower moth, and red sunflower seed weevil while the stalk infesting insects are sunflower stem weevil and Dectes stem borer. The search for host plant resistance for sunflower insect pests started in the year 2000 and several accessions and interspecific crosses have been identified with significant resistance to major insects. This study is a continuation of previous study. The objective was to evaluate the resistance to head and stalk insects in several new crosses made from previously identified resistant sunflower lines, and to identify new sources of resistance in sunflower germplasm. In addition, laboratory studies were conducted to characterize the ovipositional preference of Cochylis arthuri Dang to the previously tested sunflower lines for the banded sunflower moth, Cochylis hospes Walsingham.
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