Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 March 2009
The indices of susceptibility of five new varieties of maize: TZE 3 (3·01), TZE 4 (6·69), TZSR (5·58) developed at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, and MSRB-W (9·53) and MSC-opaque (5·0) at the National Cereals Research Institute, Ibadan, showed that the yellow variety, TZE 3, is the most resistant to post-harvest infestation by Sitophilus zeamais Motsch and Sitophilus oryzae (L.), the latterbeing the more abundant species.
Emerging F1 generation adults of either species of Sitophilusdeveloped longer, and were more numerous in soaked maize seeds without testa than in unsoaked, intactmaize seeds. Seed germinability declined as the number of holes per maize seed caused by adult insect emergence increased.