ESTIMATING THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE CORN STEM BORER, SESAMIA CRETICA LED. (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) TO SOME MAIZE VARIETIES

ESTIMATING THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE CORN STEM BORER, SESAMIA CRETICA LED. (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) TO SOME MAIZE VARIETIES

Authors

  • Alaa Rabhan Shweet
  • Hind Ibrahim Al‐Khazraji

Keywords:

Corn stem borer, excavated area, Maize varieties, Damage assessment

Abstract

A field study was conducted at the College of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Baghdad to assess the susceptibility of maize varieties (Baghdad, Fajr and Maha) to the corn stem borer, Sesamia cretica. The results showed that the varieties differed in their susceptibility to the corn borer, with a significant difference between the Baghdad variety, which was the most susceptible variety, and the other varieties. The highest infestation rate was 30.49% on the Baghdad variety, and the lowest infestation rate was 9.84% on the Maha variety. The highest percentage of dead heart was 17.63% on the Baghdad variety, and the lowest percentage was 12.57% on the Maha variety. The results showed that the Baghdad variety had the highest percentage of loss in plant height 16.86% , number of larvae 2.90 larvae/plant, number of tunnels 5.86 tunnel/plant, tunnel length 15.79 cm/tunnel, and percentage of excavated area 11.01%. The lowest percentages were for the Maha variety, which were 10.5%, 1.57 larvae/plant, 3.81 tunnel/plant, 9.24 cm/tunnel, and 6.51%, respectively.

Author Biographies

  • Alaa Rabhan Shweet

    1Department of Plant protection, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Iraq, [email protected]

  • Hind Ibrahim Al‐Khazraji

    2Assist. prof. PhD. Department of Plant protection, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Iraq, [email protected]

Published

2025-09-30

How to Cite

ESTIMATING THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE CORN STEM BORER, SESAMIA CRETICA LED. (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) TO SOME MAIZE VARIETIES: ESTIMATING THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE CORN STEM BORER, SESAMIA CRETICA LED. (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) TO SOME MAIZE VARIETIES. (2025). Iraqi Journal of Market Research and Consumer Protection, 17(2), 25-34. https://www.jmracpc.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/IJMRCP/article/view/512