author(s)
Abdul Latif, Jawad Ali Shah, Abdur Rehman, Taimur Khan, Haneef Tariq, Sheraz Khan, Salman Rehmat, Shahzad Ahmad, Waseem Kamal, Sami Ullah, and Abbas Akbar

abstract
The present study was conducted at NARC, Islamabad to study the host preference of stem borer in different maize germplasm. The experiment was laid out in RCB Design with three replication comprising of four different maize germplasm. Analysis of variance presented that there is significant differences among the trails parameters, which showed significant variability among the entries for the stem borer infestation. In the trial of MBR-10, Leaf damage was 6-10% in 3 entries and dead hearts were formed only in one entry. Stem damage was 0-5% in 12 entries and 6-10% in 10 entries. In 13 entries the lengths of feeding galleries in stems were 1.0-5.0 cm and in remaining 13 entries these were 6.0-19.0 cm per damaged stem. Days to 50% pollen shedding and silking were 67-76 and 68-79 days, respectively. Grain yield ranged from 3020-7695 kg/ha. In the trial of MBR-G, one entry (BR-3) showed no leaf damage, and in 5 entries it was 4.5-10%. Dead hearts were in 3 entries. Stem damage was 0-5% in 5 and 6-10% in 3 entries. In 10 entries the length of feeding galleries were 1.0-5.0 cm. In remaining entries, these were 5.5-7.5 on per damaged stem. Days to 50% pollen shedding and silking were 75-80 and 77-83 days, correspondingly. Grain yield ranged from 1123-11453 kg/ha. In MBR-C, trail the lower leaf damage was 0-10% in 7 entries. Dead hearts were in 2 entries. Stem damage was 0-5% in 2 and 6-10% in 5 entries. In 13 entries feeding galleries were 1.0-5.0 cm and in remaining 16 entries these were 6.0-12.0 cm per damaged stem. Days to 50% pollen shedding and silking were 72-81 and 74-85 days, separately. Grain yield was 800-7414 kg/ha. In the trial of evaluation of experimental varieties, leaf damage was 4.76% in one entry (BR-3). No dead heart was formed. Stem damage was 0.0% in only one entry (EV.1120E). In two entries, it was 3.33 and 5.01%. Pollen shedding ranged from 70-81 days. Silking days ranged from 72-83 days. Grain yield ranged from 1692-5659 kg/ha. In 7 entries the length of feeding galleries were 1.9-4.0 cm and in remaining 2 entries these were 8.50 and 9.52 cm per damaged stem.