Assessment of Insect and Bird Damage on Grain Sorghum Hybrids

Thirty seven commercial grain sorghum hybrids were evaluated for insect and bird damage in 2014.  All insect and bird damage on sorghum plants were monitored throughout the season.  The key pest damage was rated at pre-harvest.  An outbreak of sugarcane aphid occurred in southern Georgia in 2014 for the first time. Foliar damage by sugarcane aphid and grain loss by kernel-feeding insects (i.e., sorghum webworm and sorghum midge) and birds were rated separately.  Aphid damage, as well as insect- and bird-caused grain loss, varied among the hybrids.  More grain loss caused by sorghum webworm and midge than bird feeding was observed in 2014.  The possibility of utilizing host plant resistance as an effective management strategy for both insect and bird damage in grain sorghum production will be discussed.