Registration of Sorghum Germplasm Tx3408 and Tx3409 with Tolerance to Sugarcane Aphid [Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner)]

The sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] germplasm lines Tx3408 (ATx3408, Reg. No. GP-838, PI 675360; BTx3408, Reg. No. GP-839, PI 675361) and Tx3409 (ATx3409, Reg. No. GP-840, PI 675362; BTx3409, Reg. No. GP-841, PI 675363) were developed and released from Texas A&M Agrilife Research in 2015 because they possess high levels of tolerance to the sugarcane aphid [Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)]. Both of these lines were developed from intentional crosses using the pedigree method of plant breeding. The breeding crosses for these lines were made in College Station, TX, with selection and advancement made in multiple locations across Texas. Screening for sugarcane aphid (SCA) resistance/tolerance was completed in field and greenhouse environments where SCA pressure varied among environments. All of these lines express consistently high levels of tolerance to sugarcane aphid infestation; they are not immune when SCA is present, but they do not accumulate high numbers of SCA and exhibit fewer phenotypic effects typically associated with SCA infestation. They provide the sorghum industry with sources of tolerance to the SCA in an elite and diverse genetic background.