UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Rice productivity in many Asian countries is severely constrained by insect pests, among which the Asian rice gall midge is one of the most destructive. The occurrence of virulent gall midge biotypes in endemic regions such as Telangana has reduced the effectiveness of several previously resistant cultivars. Identification of stable resistance sources through field screening is therefore essential for the development of durable gall midge-resistant rice varieties.Asian rice gall midge [Orseolia oryzae (Wood-Mason)] is a major pest of rice causing significant yield losses. The present study aimed to identify resistant sources among rice genotypes under natural field conditions. A total of 58 genotypes along with two checks were evaluated for resistance against gall midge (GMB4M) at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Warangal, Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University, Telangana, during Kharif,2018 under delayed planting conditions to ensure adequate pest pressure. Genotypes were assessed based on percent plant damage (PD) and incidence of silver shoots (SS) as per Standard Evaluation System for gall midge. The susceptible check Taichung Native-1(TN-1) recorded 100% PD and 33.5% SS, indicating a highly susceptible reaction, whereas the resistant check Aganni showed no damage and was classified as highly resistant. Among the test entries, three genotypes-JGL-33440, SKL 07-08-720-63-147-182-276, and SKL 06-02-27-13-54-239-34-exhibited moderately resistant reaction signifying their role in managing virulent populations. Three genotypes (JGL-34569, JGL-34594, and KNM-6907) were categorized as moderately susceptible, while the remaining genotypes showed susceptible to highly susceptible responses.