As summarized in the May 2011 issue of the Center for Grain and Animal Health Research (CGAHR) Research Kernels:

Authors: N. Kavallieratos, C. Athanassiou, F.H. Arthur, J.E. Throne

Submitted to: Insect Science

Lesser grain borers are serious pests of stored rice throughout the world. Varieties of rice vary in their resistance to insects, and resistance may be related to cracks in the hull of the rice kernel. Lesser grain borers lay their eggs loose in the mass of rice kernels, and young larvae search out and bore into a rice kernel, where they complete development. Thus, kernels with cracked hulls may be selected by females for egg laying or they may be selected by larvae because they may be easier to enter. We showed that more progeny emerged from kernels with cracked hulls when these kernels were mixed in with intact rice kernels, but some progeny did emerge from intact kernels. Thus, using grain handling methods that reduce cracked hulls in rice would be expected to reduce insect damage to rice in storage.