Area-wide management of a polyphagous insect, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) by F1 sterility technique

Professorial Chair Lecture

UP Investment Portfolio Professorial Chair Lecture

Place

Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, UPLB, College, Laguna

Date

6-30-1999

Abstract

The protection of agricultural crops against lepidopteran pests through the use of synthetic insecticides on farm-to-farm and crop-to-crop basis is a costly, non-selective method whose effectiveness at application site is just for a short period of time. Total pest population management or area-wide management can be achieved through the release of pest themselves after they have been modified genetically to bring about their own destruction. In the case of lepidopterans, inherited sterility on F1 sterility is the preferred type of genetic control. This is a condition in which radiation-induced deleterious effects are inherited for one or more generations. The technique offers significant advantages over classical sterile release methods.

The polyphagous Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) is one of the most destructive pests of agricultural crops in the Philippines. It is an ideal candidate for a pro-active well-organized area-wide management program with F1 sterility as integral component. The technique will not be practical as substitute for insecticides after the insect pest population has reached damaging levels. However, when employed as preventive measure on area-wide basis and against low populations, the techniques will offer the opportunity to cope with H. armigera with greater effectiveness and efficacy. The success of the program, will require good understanding by pest managers of the suppression characteristics of various methods of control when used alone and when integrated.

The development of the F1 sterility technology for H. armigera necessitates the conduct of both basic and applied studies. Fortunately, the basic research need not be extensive since major questions on the radiobiology of the pest has been answered by studies conducted on its closely-related species, H. zea, by USDA research entomologists. Meanwhile, the results of the four-year project on the F1 sterility on H. armigera, which was funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency, are reported herein.

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

College

College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS)

Language

English

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