Rb. Hammond et Rl. Coope, Antibiosis of released soybean germplasm to Mexican bean beetle (Coleoptera : Coccinellidae), J ENTOM SCI, 34(2), 1999, pp. 183-190
None of the soybean, Glycine max (Merrill), cultivars released as being ins
ect resistant are grown over large areas in the U.S. partly due to reduced
yields and lower than expected insect resistance levels. Recently, Ohio rel
eased two germplasm lines, HC95-15MB and HC95-24MB, with significant levels
of insect resistance and yields approaching those of adapted cultivars. A
study was conducted that compared their resistance levels to other advanced
breeding lines. HC95-15MB and HC95-24MB were found to have moderate levels
of resistance to Mexican bean beetle, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant, much h
igher compared with the other advanced lines. Additionally, resistance leve
ls in HC95-15MB and HC95-24MB remained relatively constant during two diffe
rent soybean growth stages, late vegetative and mid-reproductive, compared
with the resistance levels in the other germplasm lines which tended to low
er as the soybeans matured. The higher levels of resistance offered by thes
e two lines make them very useful as sources of germplasm for breeders in t
heir breeding programs.