Bermudagrass somaclone resistance to fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Somaclonal variants were produced from bermudagrass germplasm and evaluated for increased resistance to fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith). A mass screening method was developed to rapidly evaluate these somaclonal lines for fall armyworm resistance in the greenhouse. Over 1,500 somaclones were produced from stolon- and immature inflorescence-derived callus cultures from six bermudagrass cultivars and three germplasm lines. Cuttings were made from 1,255 of these somaclones for testing in the mass greenhouse screenings. Individual somaclones were tested multiple times, depending on their level of fall armyworm resistance. The amount of somaclonal variation observed for fall armyworm resistance varied among germplasm sources. The ability to screen large numbers of plants resulted in the identification of several bermudagrass lines with increased resistance to fall armyworm. Somaclonal variation can provide a source of bermudagrass germplasm resistant to fall armyworm.