Multiple Trait-Based Selection of Maize Accessions for Resistance to Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda
Gabriel Adedotun Sunday BENSON, Oyeboade Adebiyi OYETUNDE, Olusegun Akeem NOFIU, Omosalewa Amidat ALMORUF, Abiodun Oladipupo JODA

Abstract
Maize is perhaps the most popular component of diets in sub-Saharan Africa. Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) constitutes huge economic losses to maize growers in SSA, due to devastating grain yield losses and/or increased production costs arising from its control. It is essential to identify useful genetic materials for development of resistant cultivars. The aim of this study was to identify armyworm-resistant maize accessions for cultivation and further improvement. Twenty-seven maize accessions were evaluated under natural infestation in 2019. Randomized Complete Block Design was used with three replications. Data collected on numbers of days to anthesis and silking, anthesis-silking interval, plant and ear heights, number of ears per plant, plant and ear aspects, and grain yield were subjected to analysis of variance. Significantly (p < 0.05 of p < 0.01) different means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. A genotype × yield*trait (GYT) biplot was employed to identify resistant genotypes based on multiple trait. There were significant (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) genotype mean squares for most of the measured traits, indicating scope of selection. There was correspondence between estimates of phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation meaning that environmental influence on observations was limited. From the GYT biplot analysis, the trait profiles of TZM 51 and TZM 87 composed of plant and ear aspects, suggesting resistance to the armyworm, while TZM 16 was the closest to the ideal cultivar. The accessions TZM 51 and TZM 87 are useful for further improvement and extraction of inbred lines to develop high-yielding armyworm-resistant maize hybrids.

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