Changing scenario of the pest status in sorghum and pearl millet

The varieties and hybrids developed during green revolution era in sorghum and pearl millet are better in quality parameters than traditional locals but are highly susceptible to insect pests. The key pest shootfly, Atherigona soccata Rondani, did not pose any serious problem before sixties as the tolerance of the local cultivars was able to contain this pest. Similarly classical example is that of midge, Stenodiplosis sorghicola (Coquillet) incidence in Maharashtra State. Continued flowering from early maturing hybrids to late locals in the same area enabled rapid multiplication of midge which could be controlled by en bloc coverage or Maharashtra State by varieties which flowered about the same time. The earhead bug, Calocoris angustatus Lethiery; gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera Hubner are other pests which became serious on sorghum after sixties. Recently, the grey weevil, Myllocerus spp. and sugarcane lear hopper, Pyrilla perpusilla Walker have assumed pest status on sorghum and pearl millet. The grey weevil attacks the crop both at early and late stages of development. Heavy incidence or Pyrilla was recorded on grain and fodder sorghums in the entire northern belt of the country. A perfect hopper burn was also observed on some sorghum varieties at the farm of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. Pearl millet was equally attacked by Pyrilla. Need for development of new cultivars endowed with insect resistance is inevitable.