Biotechnology in Pest Management: Improving Resistance in Sorghum to Insect Pests

Nwanze, K F and Seetharama, N and Sharma, H C and Stenhouse, J W (1995) Biotechnology in Pest Management: Improving Resistance in Sorghum to Insect Pests. African Crop Science Journal, 3 (2). pp. 209-215. ISSN 2072-6589

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Abstract

Annual losses in grain production attributed to four major insect pests (shootfly, stem borers, midge and head bugs) are estimated at $1,098 million in Africa and Asia alone. Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for these insects have been poorly focused. There is little scope for chemical insecticides in sorghum production in sub-Saharan Africa. Various cultural and biological methods, including recommended intercropping configurations and biocontrol have either not been adopted by farmers or have not shown lasting success. Although much effort has gone into the identification and development of insect resistant sorghums, apart from sorghum midge, conventional breeding techniques have not yielded agronomically desirable products. Several biotechnological approaches for achieving higher levels of resistance in sorghum are discussed. Marker-assisted selection can speed up the breeding process and lead to gene pyramiding from diverse sources. The transfer of resistance genes from wild relatives of sorghum is of particular relevance to shootfly. With recent advances in genetic engineering, the standardization of protocols for routine transformation is being pursued at ICRISAT. Three techniques are discussed. Biosafety concerns are briefly mentioned.

Item Type: Article
Divisions: UNSPECIFIED
CRP: UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords: ICRISAT, integrated pest management, marker-genes, selection, resistance
Subjects: Mandate crops > Sorghum
Depositing User: Mr Sanat Kumar Behera
Date Deposited: 07 Oct 2011 12:53
Last Modified: 29 Dec 2016 06:45
URI: http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/2075
Official URL: https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/html/1807/22194...
Projects: UNSPECIFIED
Funders: UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement: This paper was submitted as Conference Paper No. 972 by the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
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