Screening of Inter-Specific Rice Progeny Lines for African Rice Gall Midge (AfRGM) Resistance

Nine hundred and seventeen inter-specific rice lines were subjected to field screening for African Rice Midge Resistance in both Rainfed and Irrigated lowland ecologies at Badeggi and Edozhigi experimental fields respectively in 2009 cropping season, to determine the levels of African Rice Gall Midge (AfRGM) resistance in Bc3F3 inter-specific lines. The field was laid out in an Augmented Block Design, comprising of three blocks with 305 progenies in each block. The checks were randomized three times in each block. The result indicated that the progenies differ significantly in their resistance to AfRGM, four progenies were found to be resistance across the two locations. However, 7 out of the 146 progenies that have good phenotypic acceptability were resistant at Badeggi, while 5 out of 122 progenies with phenotypic acceptability were found resistant at Edozhigi location. Considering both resistance and phenotypic acceptability scores, only 16 progenies were selected for yield trial in both locations.