RESISTANCE TO FALL ARMYWORM (SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA) AMONG KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS (POA PRATENSIS) CULTIVARS

The fall armyworm, [Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith)] (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a destructive pest of many species of cool- and warm-season turfgrass in the Americas and Caribbean Basin. Forty-seven cultivars and genotypes of Kentucky bluegrass, (Poa pratensis L.), were characterized for their resistance or susceptibility to fall armyworm larvae in no-choice experiments. The majority of the Kentucky bluegrasses (32 genotypes) provided 100% mortality before adult emergence. An additional seven cultivars provided >90% mortality and two more produced >80% mortality. The most susceptible cultivars were ‘Glade’ with 8.33% mortality, followed by ‘PTDF22B2’ (25%), ‘Kenblue’ (29%), ‘Connie’ (58%) and ‘H86-386’ (67%). Poa arachnifera x P. pratensis ‘Reveille’ was 100% resistant, characteristic of the parent, P. pratensis ‘Huntsville,’ as opposed to the parent, P. arachnifera ‘Syn-1’. Overall analysis of the group of Kentucky bluegrass genotypes shows a gradation of resistance, with ‘Wabash’ killing 100% of larvae within 3 d feeding, an additional nine cultivars killing 100% within 9 d, 20 additional cultivars killing 100% by pupation and two additional cultivars provided 100% kill by adult emergence. The data indicates ‘Walbash’, ‘Adelphi,’ ‘Eagelton’ and ‘Monopoly’ (all producing &gr; 92% mortality within 3 d feeding) present the greatest potential for transferring genetic resistance for the fall armyworm. Poa trivialis ‘Laser’ (33% mortality at adult emergence) was included as a susceptible standard.