Pest resistant and tolerant crop varieties offer a major mean of pest control as it could be incorporated into integrated pest management programs to minimize the serious problems of insecticides. The current work was carried out at Sakha Agricultural Research Station Farm to evaluate the relative susceptibility of six soybean varieties (Crawford, Giza 21, Giza 22, Giza 111, H 30 and H 32) to infestation with the main piercing-sucking insects (whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Genn.; aphids, Aphis spp.; jassids, Empoasca spp. and green stink bug, Nezara viridula L.) during two soybean growing seasons;2009 and 2010.
Data indicated that whitefly population was higher in the first season than in the second one on all the evaluated varieties, while the reverse was found for the other insects. Based on the mean number of the two successive seasons, Giza 111 significantly received the highest number of whitefly and jassids, followed by Giza 22, while Crawford and H 30 had the lowest whitefly and jassids density, respectively. Also, H 30 and Giza 111 significantly had higher number of aphids among the evaluated varieties. As for the green stink bug, the highest population was found on Giza 22, Crawford and Giza 111, while the lowest one was counted on Giza 21 and H 32 .
In respect to susceptibility degree, Giza 111, Giza 22 and H 32 appeared susceptible to whitefly and jassids, while Crawford and H 30 appeared moderately resistant to whitefly and jassids, respectively. Giza 111 and H 30 appeared susceptible to aphids, while the other varieties showed low resistance. Also, Giza22, Crawford and Giza111 appeared susceptible to the green bug, while Giza21 and H32 appeared as moderately resistant.
Generally, it can be concluded that Giza111 was the highest infested variety with all the tested insects. On the other hand, Crawford was the least infested variety with the whitefly and aphids, while H30 was the least infested with jassids and the green stink bug.