Comparative injuriousness of Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on grain sorghum

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Abstract
The comparative influence of Busseola fusca (Fuller) and Chilo partellus (Swinhoe), both as separate and mixed populations, on growth and yield of grain sorghum was investigated in a field experiment, using an artificial infestation in cages. C. partellus was more injurious than B. fusca as indicated by whorl damage, stalk injury and yield loss. In the case of mixed populations, dispersion of larvae and damage were independent of B. fusca numbers. A regression equation, Logit Y = 0.24 + 2.06 logit x, relating visible plant damage to yield loss was determined. Control strategies in the case of mixed stem borer populations should be directed against C. partellus.