Evaluation of Vigna angularis (Willd) Ohwi and Ohashi accessions for resistance to Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari:Tetranychidae)

Under laboratory conditions 88 azuki bean and three rice bean accessions were evaluated with a leaf-disc technique to select for those which expressed an antibiotic response to the TSSM ovipositional rate. Nine of the most promising accessions determined in the screening and 'Erimo', a commercial cultivar used as a control, were re-evaluated to determine the ovipositional rate and fecundity. Statistically significant differences between accessions were found: some of the accessions exhibited a reduced TSSM ovipositional rate and fecundity when compared with the susceptible control. The accessions ADZU279 and ADZU514 from Japan and ADZU577 from Ivory Coast demonstrated strong inhibition to TSSM fecundity. These three accessions may possess inherent potential in a breeding programme designed to enhance resistance to T. urticae.