Research achievements in plant resistance to insect pests of cool season food legumes

Abstract

Plant resistance to at least 17 field and storage insect pests of cool season food legumes has been identified . For the most part, this resistance was located in the primary gene pools of grain legumes via conventional laboratory, greenhouse, and field screening methods . The use of analytical techniques (i .e ., capillary gas chromatography) to characterize plant chemicals that mediate the host selection behavior of pest insects offers promise as a new, more rapid way to differentiate between insect-resistant and susceptible plant material . Examples of research achievements in mechanisms of resistance and host-plant resistance within the context of integrated control programs are discussed . Accelerating the development and subsequent releases of insect-resistant cultivars to pulse farmers requires more involvement from interdisciplinary teams of plant breeders, entomologists, plant pathologists, plant chemists, molecular biologists, and other scientists .

Breeding options for improving common bean for resistance against bean fly (Ophiomyia spp.): a review of research in eastern and southern Africa

“…However, Slumpa (1996, 1998) a NGBK National Gene Bank of Kenya introgressing and pyramiding of useful alleles from within and across cultivated races and gene pools, wild populations of common bean, and its secondary and tertiary gene pools would broaden genetic base, apart from taking advantage of gains from selection and increasing the durability of resistance to insects (Singh 2001). Although some success in introducing a single insect resistance gene into commercial bean cultivars from wild common bean has been achieved (Kornegay and Cardona 1991b), multiple insect and/ or disease resistant varieties are greatly required (Clement et al 1994) for increased commercial value. Pyramiding of multiple insect resistance traits and disease resistance simultaneously has not been common, but attempt so far made by Singh et al (1998) show that this approach may be promising.…”

“…Like most plants, legumes rely on a set of defences for protection against insect pests (Edwards and Singh 2006). Plant structural and chemical defences can act directly on the herbivorous pests by discouraging the herbivore feeding (antixenosis), by suppressing herbivore growth and development (antibiosis), or by decreasing the damage symptoms (tolerance) (Clement et al 1994). Cardona and Kornegay (1999) stated that the mechanisms of resistance to insects in common bean can be divided into antibiosis and antixenosis traits except for a few that chiefly have biochemical traits such as seed protein, or morphological traits for instance leaf hair (trichome) density.…”

“…This suggests that resistance breakdown leads to susceptibility of such pest-resistant crops. In order to lengthen the usefulness of resistant cultivars, it has been suggested that breeding strategies should aim at developing cultivars with more than one resistance gene (Clement et al 1994). Like most plants, legumes rely on a set of defences for protection against insect pests (Edwards and Singh 2006).…”

Lentil

“…Further this crop is affected by various fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases and parasitic weed menace at various growth stages (Dita et al 2006 ) leading to severe yield losses. Being rich in protein, several insect pests also cause yield losses to food legumes, both under fi eld conditions and in storage (Clement et al 1994(Clement et al , 1999. Among abiotic stresses, drought, temperature extremities, and edaphic problems (salinity and mineral toxicities) have great bearing on their harvestable yield (Stoddard et al 2006 ).…”

Resistance to insect pests: What do legumes have to offer?

“…Chemical defences can be constitutively expressed or induced and may be localized within tissues, translocated throughout the plant, or released as volatile emissions (Kessler & Baldwin, 2002). Both structural and chemical defences can act directly on the herbivorous pests by deterring herbivore feeding (antixenosis), by suppressing herbivore growth and development (antibiosis), or by minimizing damage symptoms (tolerance) (Clement et al, 1994); or can act indirectly by increasing herbivore mortality caused by other environmental factors (Clement et al, 1999).…”