Insects attack maize throughout the cropping cycle and during storage, resulting in as little as 10% up to complete crop loss. The major field pests targeted for Ethiopia include the maize stem borer Busseola fusca (Fuller) and spotted stem borer Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) while the maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais (Motsch) and Angoumois grain moth Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) are among targeted insect pests in storage. Despite the heavy losses caused by stem borers and storage pests in Ethiopia, progress in screening varieties resistant/tolerant to these field and storage insect pests has been limited and pest management is solely relied on insecticides which lead to poisoning, environmental pollution and development of resistance to the pesticides. This is partly due to lack of skilled personnel and well equipped laboratories and insectaries. Use of host plant resistant is the easiest, most economical and effective means of controlling insect pests in field as well as on stored grains as there is no additional technology which has to be adopted by farmers. The expenses to the farmer are limited because he/she only has to buy the seeds while HPR carries no hazards to health and to the environment. In close collaboration with entomologists and breeders in Ethiopia and Kenya several popular maize genotypes developed by Ethiopian National program have been screened for their resistance to stem borers and storage pests during the years 2009-2011. This study evaluated popular open pollinated varieties (OPVs) and hybrids for resistance to stem borers, maize Weevil, and LGB. Two sets of trials with 33 and 23 cultivars for storage pests and for stem borers, respectively, were evaluated for two seasons in Ethiopia and one season in Kenya. The genotypes were evaluated for resistance to maize weevil in no choice tests in the laboratory at Bako, Ethiopia and Kiboko, Kenya. Since the pest is absent in Ethiopia, screening for LGB was conducted only at Kiboko, Kenya. For resistance to stem borers the genotypes were evaluated at hot-spot areas under natural infestation in Ethiopia and under artificial infestation in Kenya. Results showed that, 12 cultivars out of the 33 genotypes evaluated for storage pests have been identified with a moderate level of resistance to the storage pests. Likewise, nine of the 23 genotypes evaluated for stem borers have been identified with a moderate level of resistance to the stem borers and with good regional adaptation and agronomic performance. The resistant genotypes can be used as sources of resistance in future breeding projects. This paper revealed that host–plant resistance is an option for combating pest depredation in field and storage in Ethiopia.

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