Oviposition preference and life-history parameters of Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on different soybean (Glycine max) cultivars.

Background: Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is one of the most destructive pests of stored legume seeds in many regions of the world. Evaluation of varietal resistance of host seeds to C. maculatus infestation can be useful in preventing severe damage. We studied the susceptibility and resistance of eight conventional soybean cultivars (Caspian, Kosar, L17, Nekador, Sari, Tapour, Williams and Zane) based on the oviposition preference (choice and no-choice tests) and population growth parameters of the pest.

Results: Compared with other cultivars tested, oviposition preference of C. maculatus was the lowest on Nekador. The developmental time of C. maculatus differed from 40.34 days on Nekador to 48.35 days on L17, and was negatively correlated with the seed protein content. Other performance measures of C. maculatus did not match the oviposition preference. Immature survival and female longevity were highest on Caspian. The intrinsic rate of increase (r ) was higher on Tapour, Nekador and Caspian than on Zane, Williams, and Kosar. A positive correlation was observed between the r value of the pest and moisture content of the cultivars. Cluster analysis showed that cvs Nekador, Sari, Tapour, and Caspian were relatively susceptible, and cvs Kosar, Zane, Williams and L17 were partially resistant to this pest.

Conclusion: Protein and moisture contents of soybean cultivars play an important role in the development and population growth of C. maculatus, and these traits could be used to develop safe and effective management strategies for this pest on stored soybean seeds. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.