engleski

Investigating resistance in insect pests using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism method

Production of the most important arable (maize and potato) and perennial crops (apple) in Croatia is threatened by many insect pests, of which the most important are the western corn rootworm, WCR, (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte), Colorado potato beetle, CPB, (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say) and Codling moth, CM, (Cydia pomonella L.). These three pests have shown resistance to insecticides (CPB and CM) and to management strategies (WCR) used to control them. Insect resistance to pesticides is a serious and growing problem in agricultural production systems. Therefore, there is a need for effective resistance monitoring programs that are capable of the early detection of resistance and will allow for the implementation of insect resistance management (IRM) strategies that can occur in a timely manner. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) has become an affordable and readily accessible means of generating important data on a species. Through genotyping of SNPs an understand of the genomic structure, populations differentiation, gene flow, dispersal and adaptive potential of WCR, CPB and CM populations will be possible. Using SNPs, detection and monitoring of resistant and non-resistant variants of WCR, CPB and CM will be performed in a novel application of this genetic marker. The existence of such biomarker that detects resistance-related change in the genome would allow quick detection and monitoring of resistant variants as the first step towards the implementation of anti-resistant strategies. It is a new approach to the study of genetic changes using innovative population genetics techniques and certainly provides new insights into the important field of insect resistance development and control.

SNPs, insect resistance, antiresistance strategies

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