EVALUATION OF SOYBEAN GENOTYPES AGAINST CALLOSOBRUCHUS CHINENSIS (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE) INFESTATION IN ETHIOPIA

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is among the chief food and industrial crops grown globally for its high protein and vegetable oil content. This study investigates the resistance of various soybean genotypes to the infestation of soybean bruchid (Callosobruchus chinensis L.), a key pest affecting the storage of this critical crop in Ethiopia. This study evaluates 50 soybean genotypes’ susceptibility to C. chinensis infestation through parameters such as egg oviposition, adult emergence, weight loss percentages, and growth index. Results indicate significant genetic variability among the genotypes about pest resistance, with two genotypes classified as resistant, sixteen as moderately resistant, and the majority as susceptible or highly susceptible. Notably, genotype JM-PI230970/PI635999-020-T14-S43 displayed the lowest susceptibility, showing exceptional resistance traits, and the other resistant genotype is JM-PI635999/F6LG04-5196-LG06-5920-020-T3-S5. Conversely, many released soybean varieties exhibited susceptibility, emphasizing the need for targeted breeding programs to enhance resistance traits and sustain soybean production in regions afflicted by C. chinensis. Keywords: Callosobruchus chinensis, Dobie susceptibility index, Growth index, grain weight loss