Leaf profile of maize resistance factors to European corn borer,Ostrinia nubilalis.

The feeding preference of European corn borer larvae for immature whorl tissue of maize was examined by conducting leaf bioassays and quantifying resistance factors along the length of mid-whorl leaves from the maize synthetic BS9(C4) developed by recurrent selection for resistance. Potential resistance factors that were quantified included percent foliar nitrogen, gravimetric determination of soluble metabolites and fiber, soluble phenolics and hydroxamic acids, cell-wall-bound phenolics, leaf toughness, and UV absorbance of the epidermal cell wall determined by microspectrophotometry. Larvae consumed immature tissue at a higher rate than more mature tissue outside of the whorl, despite higher levels of DIMBOA in immature tissue. Consumption rate was highly negatively correlated with epidermal cell wall absorbance and leaf toughness. Fiber content and phenolic fortification of cell walls are proposed as the major resistance components that influence European corn borer feeding preference within the resistant synthetic BS9(C4).