Author
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Porter, David |
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Submitted to: Plant Breeding Reviews
Publication Type: Review Article Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2002 Publication Date: 1/1/2003 Citation: Porter, D.R. 2003. Breeding wheat for resistance to insects. Plant Breeding Reviews. 22:221-296. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The greenbug is a serious, perennial aphid pest of wheat with a worldwide distribution. It was first reported in North America on oat in Virginia in 1882. The current distribution of the greenbug now includes most of the wheat-producing areas of North America. A 1993 survey revealed that over 8 million acres (41%) of dryland and 1.2 million acres (93%) of irrigated wheat in the western United States were infested with greenbug. Although the greenbug has been around since the 1880s, it wasn't until the 1950s, when resistant wheat began to be developed, that greenbug populations (biotypes) were identified that differed in their ability to damage resistant plants. Efforts to develop greenbug-resistant wheat began in the 1950s with the identification of greenbug-resistant DS 28A selected from durum wheat. Early attempts to find greenbug resistance genes were made by screening collections of hexaploid wheats. But, with no success in this approach, attention was turned to moving resistance genes into wheat from related species. There are now at least six resistance genes available for developing greenbug-resistant wheat. Plant resistance plays the pivotal role in the development of any sustainable approach for controlling greenbug damage in wheat. Other control tactics such as insecticides and natural enemies can be successfully included into an integrated pest management approach, with plant resistance forming the foundation from which to build upon. |
