SCREENING OF WHEAT VARIETIES FOR RESISTANCE AGAINST RED FLOUR BEETLE TRIBOLIUM CASTANEUM (HERBST 1797) (TENEBRIONIDAE COLEOPTERA)

A laboratory experiment was conducted in the laboratory of Department of Plant Protection, Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan in the year 2018-19, to screen out the resistance of wheat varieties against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). Six varieties of wheat (Sehar-06. Millat-11, Punjab-11. Ujalla-15, FD-08 and Galaxy-13) were used with four replications in Completely Randomized Design. The grains of wheat varieties were obtained from Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department, Dera Ghazi Khan. The grains were ground to flour and twenty eggs of T. castaneum (Herbst) were added to known quantity of flour. The data on hatching percentage, larval survival, pupal survival and egg laying percentage were recorded. The data so obtained were analyzed by ANOVA. The results represented that all varieties were susceptible and none of the varieties were fully resistant against the infestation of red flour beetle. Significant variations were observed among all six wheat varieties. Faisalabad -08 variety showed less hatching percentage as compared to others. Thus, Faisalabad-08 variety was recorded as a most resistant against the red flour beetle while Ujalla-15 was found as a most susceptible variety due to maximum hatching percentage. Sehar-06, Punjab-11, Millat-11 and Galaxy-13 were recorded as a moderately susceptible, respectively.