Abstract

The saccharine sorghum has been investigated as a complementary source of raw material for ethanol production, especially during the sugarcane off-season, however, it has been susceptible to the attack of the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis. The objective of this work was to verify the effect of sorghum cultivars on D. saccharalis’ biological parameters. Cultivars, BRS 506, BRS 509 and BRS 511 were used to determine duration and survival rates of eggs, larvae, pre-pupae and pupa phases, along with larval weight and adult longevity. D. saccharalis completed its biological cycle in all treatments, however, when fed with dry extracts of BRS 509 cultivar, the net reproduction rate, the intrinsic rate of increase and the finite rate of increase was superior from the others. BRS 506 was the cultivar that negatively affected D. saccharalis’ biological parameters, with possible antibiosis effect. Based on this study, the sorghum cultivars evaluated are not recommended for a grain production system, since D. saccharalis’ larvae presented good development when fed with its dry extract incorporated into the diet.

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