Host plant interactions between wheat germplasm source and wheat stem sawfly Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) I. Commercial cultivars

The wheat stem sawfly (WSS) Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) is an economically destructive insect pest of wheat in the northern Great Plains. A significant resurgence of the insect pest in the southern prairies of Canada caused substantial economic losses from 1999 through 2007. Solid-stem cultivar selection is critical to the management of WSS but adoption of the use of these cultivars was low, which compounded losses at harvest. A study was conducted from 2001 to 2003 in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada (1) to establish the range of susceptibility of hollow-and solid-stem varieties representing the major spring wheat classes and (2) to determine the impact of host plant on WSS population dynamics. The solid-stem varieties were generally superior at reducing damage and fitness response of WSS. However, in addition to the durum cultivars AC Navigator and AC Avonlea, the variety McKenzie, which was considered hollow, provided improved efficacy over other hollow-stem cultivars. Our study suggests solid-stem cultivars are highly effective but prone to inconsistent performance and should therefore be integrated into a holistic strategy for WSS that includes agronomics and biocontrol. A companion paper will report on the response of cultivars with novel sources of germplasm.