Screening of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) genotypes against Mirid Bug (Nesidiocoris tenuis) under field conditions

A study at the PC Unit's experimental farm, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, was conducted during Kharif 2023 to evaluate fifty-eight sesame genotypes for resistance to the mirid bug, Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter, under natural field conditions. The bug population was monitored weekly starting from the third week after sowing until crop maturity. Significant differences in bug populations among the genotypes were observed. The highest average bug count was on genotype AT-494 (6.7 bugs per plant), followed by RT-372, JTS-8, NIC-8202, ES-75, and IS-294 (6.3-6.5 bugs per plant per week). The lowest counts were on AT-467 (1.2 bugs per plant per week), then TKG-22 (1.3 bugs), and TKG-306 and SI-250 (1.4 bugs each). The bug population peaked during the sixth and seventh weeks after sowing, aligning with the crop's flowering stage.