Biocontrol of Maize Stalk Borers by the use of Sorghum bicolor (Paperback)

Maize stalk borers are an important constraint of maize production.That is why a special attention must be given to the means of their control. This research used sorghum as a biocontrol agent of maize stalk borers. Maize and sorghum were planted in three spatial intercrops arrangements, in alternating rows (Sorghum to Maize). The intercrops were 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1. Monocropped maize was planted as control. All the intercropping combinations and monocropping were grown without insecticide treatment. The study had the following objectives: to determine the efficacy of sorghum (sorghum bicolor) as a maize stalk borer's control agent; to evaluate the influence of maize and sorghum variety on effectiveness of the intercropping on reducing stalk borers attack on maize and to assess the effect of sorghum population density on its effectiveness of intercropping as a biocontrol agent of maize stalk borers. The results show that Stalk borer attack in sorghum was over ten times more compared to maize. Among the sorghum varieties, attack from stalk borers appeared to be higher in Sima compared to Madura and Sweet sorghum. Stalk borer attack was about 55 % in Sima, and about 40 % in Madura.