Researchers from The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) report
in a new study that flavonoids produced by sorghum leaves show promising
results in combating fall armyworm larvae. When sprayed on the leaves
ofcorn, sorghum flavonoids stunt the growth of fall armyworm and often
kill the pest.

The research group led by Surinder Chopra, professor of maizegenetics at
Penn State has studied mutant lines of corn that overproduce the
flavonoids and has developed new lines that combine flavonoid
overproduction with other desirable traits. Chopra's lab has taken the
genethat produces a precursor compound of flavonoids in sorghum and
inserted this gene into corn to develop more resilient plants that can
discourage feeding by fall armyworms and possibly other pests.

In the study, the researchers showed in a three-part experiment that
sorghum and corn flavonoids affect the survival of fall armyworm larvae.
Their findings, recently published in the/Journal of Pest Science/,
revealed that fall armyworm larvae reared in the lab on an artificial
diet supplemented with sorghum flavonoids showed significant mortality
and decreased larvae body weight. To compare the levels of fall armyworm
survival and feeding damage, the researchers developed corn breeding
lines and grew four related lines of corn at Penn State's Russell E.
Larson Agricultural Research Center, two genetically modified lines to
produce flavonoids, and two not producing flavonoids. Chopra said the
feeding assays showed significantly high mortality of larvae that were
fed on flavonoid-producer lines compared to non-flavonoid lines or the
wild types.

Flavonoids from sorghum plants kill fall armyworm pest on corn; may
protect crop | Penn State University (psu.edu)
[www.psu.edu]