Conventional to genetic engineering approach in host plant resistance to insect pests

Issue Date

10-2002

Abstract

Increased food production for a food-secure world continues to be the major concern of world economies because of the pressure brought about by the increasing global population. Biotechnology is considered one of the strategies in attaining food security, particularly in the area of reducing food losses due to insect pests and the over dependence on the use of pesticides to control them. This paper discusses host plant resistance as an alternative strategy, singly or in combination with other control tactics, for an effective insect pest management. Basic concepts and historical perspective were presented. The establishment of international and national commodity centers enhanced the growth of host plant resistance as a field of science. It has become the foundation and contributed greatly to the success of IPM programs. In recent years, a new paradigm in host plant resistance was developed i.e. from conventional to genetic engineering technology. The new technology allows the transfer of resistance genes even from unrelated taxa. Examples are the Bt crops like Bt corn and Bt cotton that were made resistant to their major insect pests by the gene coming from a bacterium. With the rapid pace of discovery in the allied sciences and the gene cloning and transformation techniques perfected in other crops, complementary and more novel sources of resistance genes will be discovered and incorporated to developed resistant plants.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Entomologist

ISSN

0048-3753

Volume

16

Issue

2

Page

101-109

Document Type

Article

Frequency

semi-annually

Physical Description

tables

Language

English

En – AGROVOC descriptors

INSECTA; BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS; HOST PLANT RESISTANCE; HOST PLANT; TRANSGENIC PLANTS; TRANSGENIC; GENETIC ENGINEERING; BIOTECHNOLOGY

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