EVALUATION OF NEWLY DEVELOPED FALL ARMYWORM [SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA (J. E. SMITH)] TOLERANT MAIZE FOR THE SOUTHERN ECOLOGY OF NIGERIA

Abstract

Two newly developed fall armyworm (FAW) tolerant maize (white and yellow) were evaluated with the parents and two newly released FAW tolerant maize, under artificially-infested conditions to test their yield performance. The evaluation was conducted at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan, Nigeria, in the early and late seasons of 2024. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design in three replications. Data were collected on FAW severity on a rating scale of 1-9, and agronomic and yield parameters. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted using SAS. Average FAW severity and plant aspect rating were good (between 3 and 4) under artificially-infested conditions. Mean grain yield was better under non-infested conditions (3.88 t/ha) than under infested conditions (2.76 t/ha). Mean squares of environment were significant for most of the traits, while mean squares of variety were significant for ears per plant, cob length, and grain yield under infested conditions. The newly developed FAW-tolerant maize compared favourably with the released FAW-tolerant checks in terms of yield. Despite the reduction in plant height of the newly-developed FAW-tolerant white maize between week 3 and 6, and the increased FAW severity rating at 6 WAP, the genotype still performed comparably with the white check and yielded higher than the yellow check. The newly developed FAW-tolerant yellow maize (FAW-Y MS4) also yielded higher (3.01 t/ha) than the yellow check (1.15 t/ha) under infested conditions. The two newly developed FAW-tolerant maize are therefore good candidates for further testing in multi-location trials.