Researchers are exploring an exciting new approach that uses genomics to help monitor and identify pesticide resistance in the insects that munch on our crops.
Pest management is important for farmers, but insects often become immune to pesticides, making them less effective. In the new research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, a team of scientists from the University of Maryland (UMD) presents a new strategy that analyzes genomic changes in pests to monitor and identify emerging resistance to specific toxins early on.
They zoned in on one pest in particular: the corn earworm, a crop-destroying caterpillar that has developed widespread resistance to a number of natural toxins bred into corn. They were able to identify resistance to toxins among these caterpillars after just a single generation of exposure. They also identified how common strategies for avoiding resistance could actually be doing the opposite.
"As it currently stands, the evolution of resistance across many pests of agricultural and public health importance is outpacing the rate at which we can discover new technologies to manage them," said senior author Megan Fritz, an associate professor of entomology at UMD, per Phys.org. "I'm really excited about this study, because we're developing the framework for use of genomic approaches to monitor and manage resistance in any system."
The new research is one of many that is helping farmers to produce more successful harvests.
For instance, a team of American and Chinese researchers found a way to genetically engineer plants that can survive heat waves. University of Minnesota scientists are on their way to developing a "Super Grape" that could stave off powdery mildew and reduce the need for fungicide.
These developments in agriculture come at a critically important time — as our planet continues to warm, there are frequent heat waves and droughts, which threaten our food security. Plus, climate change scientists predict that a warming world will drive a surge in certain insect pests that attack our crops, further threatening food security and causing economic losses for those in the agricultural sector.
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