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Relationships of stemborer damage and plant physical conditions to maize yield in a semi-arid zone of eastern Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Josephine Moraa Songa ,
Zhou Guofa  and
William Allan Overholt
Josephine Moraa Songa
Affiliation:
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), P. O. Box 340, Machakos, Kenya
Zhou Guofa
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P. O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
William Allan Overholt
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P. O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
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Abstract

A field survey on maize stemborers, stemborer damage, maize plant physical conditions, and maize yield was conducted in eastern Kenya under natural conditions. Chilo partellus was the dominant stemborer accounting for 89.5 % of all borers. Stemborer damage greatly reduced maize yield, with tunnel lengths greater than 20 cm causing a 40 % reduction of potential yield. A 33 % yield loss was found in plants with more than one stemborer exit hole. Each stemborer (at harvest time) was correlated with a 8–10 % yield loss. Good plant physical characteristics significantly increased grain yield. Principle component analysis showed that stemborer damage, plant height and stem diameter were key factors affecting maize grain yield. Regression analysis indicated that one centimetre of stemborer tunnel reduced yield by 3 g/plant. Multiple regression analysis implied a 13.3 ± 1.5 g yield loss (8–10 % of potential yield) due to the damage of a single stemborer. Comparison with average yields in the study area suggested that our results were representative of losses on farmers' fields.

Résumé

Une enquête de terrain a été réalisée, dans l'Est du Kenya en conditions naturelles, sur les foreurs de tiges du maïs, leurs dégâts, les caractéristiques physiques des plants de maïs et les rendements. Chilo partellus est l'espèce de foreur de tiges dominante totalisant 89,5 % de tous les foreurs. Les dégâts occasionnés par les foreurs de tiges réduisent considérablement les rendements du maïs, des galeries de longueur supérieure à 20 cm sont responsables de près de 40% de la réduction de la récolte potentielle. On à trouvé près de 33% de perte de récolte pour les plantes totalisant au moins un trou de sortie de foreur de tiges. De bonnes caractéristiques physiques du maïs augmentent significativement la production de graines. Une analyse en composantes principales montre que les dégâts des foreurs de tiges, la taille de la plante et le diamètre des tiges sont les facteurs clefs affectant la production de graines du maïs. Une analyse de régression simple indique qu'un centimètre de galerie de foreur de tige réduit la production de 3 g/plante. Une analyse de régression multiple suggère une perte de récolte de 13,3 ± 1,5 g (8–10% de la récolte potentielle) due aux dégâts d'un seul foreur de tige. Une comparaison avec les rendements moyens dans la zone étudiée suggère que nos résultats sont représentatifs des pertes observées dans les champs paysans.

Keywords

stemborersChilo partellusyield lossforeurs des tigesChilo partellusperte de rendements
Type
Research Articles
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 21 , Issue 3 , September 2001 , pp. 243 - 249
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2001

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