Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #136149
Title: MOLECULAR APPROACHES FOR CONTROL OF THE SUGAR BEET ROOT MAGGOT

Author
item Smigocki, Anna
item IVIC-HAYMES, SNEZANA - UNIV OF BELGRADE, YO
item Wilson, Dennis
item CAMPBELL, LARRY - USDA,ARS, FARGO, ND
item DREGSETH, ROBERT - ND STATE UNIV FARGO
item BOETEL, MARK - ND STATE UNIV FARGO

Submitted to: American Society of Sugarbeet Technologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/10/2002
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The sugar beet root maggot (Tetanops myopaeformis Roder) is a major insect pest of sugar beet in the United States and Canada accounting for yield losses in the range of 10 to 100%. Currently no biological control measures exist and crop rotation has been ineffective due to the mobility of the adult flies and existence of several weed species as substitute hosts. A few insecticides are available but provide inconsistent results. In the last few years, we have developed a method for direct gene transfer to sugar beet leaves that uses greenhouse grown plants and generates transgenic plants within three months. We have identified and engineered a number of beneficial genes for specific expression in sugar beet leaves and taproots. One class of genes targets the digestive system of the maggot thus starving the insect. We identified two major classes of digestive enzymes in midguts excised from feeding maggots and demonstrated their inhibition by specific proteinase inhibitors. Genes encoding these proteinase inhibitors will be introduced into sugar beet to evaluate their effect in planta. We have also initiated studies to profile the defense response genes in maggot resistant sugar beet lines. As a first step, we developed an in vitro root maggot bioassay using resistant (F1016) and susceptible parental (F1010) lines to generate infested tissues as source of mRNA for preparation of differential cDNA libraries enriched for resistance genes. Clones with potential roles in root maggot (and disease) resistance will be characterized, reconstructed for plant expression and their role in resistance evaluated in transgenic plants.