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VOL. 11, ISSUE 3 (2026)
Host-plant resistance to Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) in Indian wheat: A narrative review of cultivar variability, physico-biochemical determinants, and research priorities
Authors
Dr. Shalini Shukla, Dr. Anupam Dubey, Dr. Seema Pandey
Abstract
Post-harvest insect damage is a major and
recurring constraint on the storage of Indian wheat, and the lesser grain borer
Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) is among the principal Coleopteran
contributors. Variation in phosphine sensitivity across Indian R. dominica
populations has further sharpened the case for cultivar-based host-plant
resistance (HPR) as a complementary and sustainable management strand. This
narrative review consolidates the Indian literature on cultivar response to R.
dominica, with attention to physico-biochemical determinants of resistance,
the screening methodologies in use, and the comparative Sitophilus oryzae
corpus on the same cultivars. The Indian record shows broad screening activity
across multiple wheat breeding series and agro-ecological zones, repeated identification
of more- and less-susceptible cultivar groups, and a discernible mismatch
between cultivar resistance to R. dominica and resistance to other
Coleopteran storage pests — challenging pest-generic “stored-grain resistance”
framings. The physico-biochemical correlate analysis routinely applied to S.
oryzae on Indian wheat has not been comparably executed for R. dominica.
The screening methodologies in use are functional but heterogeneous in
infestation density, storage duration, and pest-strain provenance. Three
concrete research priorities follow: (i) a polyphasic biochemistry × R.
dominica × Indian wheat study modelled on existing S. oryzae
protocols; (ii) population-stratified screening against field-collected pest
populations from contrasting agro-ecologies; and (iii) integration of
kernel-hardness phenotyping, including puroindoline-allele characterisation,
into the AICRP-Wheat breeding pipeline.
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Pages:160-165
How to cite this article:
Dr. Shalini Shukla, Dr. Anupam Dubey, Dr. Seema Pandey "Host-plant resistance to <i>Rhyzopertha dominica</i> (F.) in Indian wheat: A narrative review of cultivar variability, physico-biochemical determinants, and research priorities". International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, Vol 11, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 160-165
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