VALUATION OF TWENTY-FIVE MAIZE VARIETIES AGAINST FALL ARMYWORM (Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith) INFESTATION IN TWO AGROECOLOGICAL ZONES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Maize production in Nigeria is threatened by the Fall Armyworm (FAW) infestation, which causes significant yield losses. Farmers use unsustainable crude methods to reduce FAW activities, which are however, hazardous to the environment. The use of Resistant Varieties-RV are safer alternatives but with no adequate exploration in the management of fall armyworm in Nigeria. On the field, twenty-five maize varieties arranged in a randomized complete block design (r₌3) were screened for resistance to FAW in Ibadan and Ilorin. The Number of leaves damaged, Damage Rating [0(Highly resistant)–9(Susceptible)] were determined. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at α In Ibadan, SAMMAZ-51 (4.33±2.74) recorded low  0.05.  number of leaves damaged, SAMMAZ-51 (1.00±0.57) and TZBRELD-3-C5 (0.67±0.38) had low damage rating while SAMMAZ-45 had significantly higher number of leaves damaged (86.00±6.44), LNTP-X (5.00±1.64) and SAMMAZ-7 (4.67±0.51) had the highest damage rating. However, at Ilorin, TZE-WDT (8.00±3.72) had low number of leaves damaged with SUWAN-1-SR-Y (2.33±1.44) and TZE-WDT (1.00±0.57) having the lowest damage rating. SAMMAZ-7 had significantly higher number of leaves damaged (95.33±6.28) with the highest damage rating recorded on SAMMAZ-45 (4.33±1.31), SAMMAZ-KD (4.33±1.79) and SAMMAZ-7 (4.33±0.33). Maize varieties, SAMMAZ-51 and TZBRELD-3-C5 in Ibadan and TZE-COMP 5 and TZE-WDT in Ilorin exhibited resistance to fall armyworm