Biochemical basis of resistance in forage sorghum to shoot fly Atherigona soccata (Rondani)

A study on the role of biochemical constituents in imparting resistance to shoot fly, Atherigona soccata (Rondani) was carried out at Main Forage Research Station, Anand during 2010. The biochemical constituents like ash, silica, phosphorus, calcium, fat, crude fibre, dry matter, acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) were observed more in resistant and moderately resistant varieties, whereas moisture, organic matter, nitrogen, crude protein, chlorophyll from upper leaf and lower leaf (mg/g) and HCN (ppm) were more in moderately susceptible and susceptible varieties. The correlation between infestation level and biochemical characters like moisture, organic matter, nitrogen, crude protein, chlorophyll (from upper and lower leaves) and HCN were significantly highly positively correlated whereas, amount of ash, silica, phosphorus, fat, calcium, crude fibre, dry matter, ADF and NDF were significantly highly negatively correlated. Among the fourteen varieties screened, S-1049, AFS-14 and CVS-21F were categorized as resistant to shoot fly and AFS-15 and AFS-18 as moderately resistant. AFS-13, AFS-20, SRF-316, SRF-318, SRF-311, SRF-325 and SRF-319 were found to be moderately susceptible. SRF-312 and GFS-5 were grouped as susceptible.