Potato Review

8 POTATO REVIEW MARCH/APRIL 2023 PEST GENOMES A NEWdatabase of insect genomes encompassing some of the most damaging pests of crops worldwide has been made publicly available. It includes wireworm - a common threat to UK growers - and other potato enemies. It is hoped that the new database will help speed up the development of novel pest control approaches that can overcome resistance and create more nature friendly solutions to crop protection. e four-year Pest Genome Initiative, a consortium of Rothamsted Research and the agriscience companies Syngenta and Bayer, rstly sequenced the genomes, and then assembled them into their constituent chromosomes before adding information about what individual genes code for. e team say their e orts will help in the development of crop protection products that are more species-speci c and overcome the problem of resistance. ey will also help develop non-chemical pest control methods, such as manipulating insect behaviour, focusing on the genes that control how insects nd mates and host plants and hence shepherd them away from crops. e team say their e orts will also help in the development of pesticides that are less likely to incite resistance evolving in their target species. Rothamsted’s Professor Linda Field, one of the research leaders, said the future of growing would be ‘smarter’ and involve less pesticide use, using electronic surveillance of insect movements and measures that encourage natural pest control, with these newer, more targeted pesticides. She said: “Whilst non-chemical control methods can have some success in reducing crop losses, pesticides remain a necessary weapon in our ght against devastating crop losses and will so for the foreseeable future.” By assembling these detailed genome ‘maps’ of annotated sequences, researchers can start to develop the next generation of pesticides – ones that very speci cally target the pest whilst leaving other species unharmed, she said. e hope is that by having these higher quality genomes available, researchers will be able to better understand how resistance to pesticides evolves – and it will also improve their understanding of insect chemical communication channels, opening up the possibility of non-lethal control methods that ‘hijack’ insect behaviour. “Understanding the pests’ genes means we can understand the speci c proteins they make. By comparing these proteins to the proteins made by non-target species, we can tailor control methods that only work on pests. Examples include those proteins that allow pests to de-toxify pesticides, the basis of much evolved resistance.” Another exciting area for research will be into the genes involved in insect behaviour, the so-called odorant binding proteins and receptors, which allow insects to nd mates or host plants, she added. “If we can produce products that target those, we can potentially manipulate pest behaviour and shepherd them away from the crops.” A further use for these genome sequences is in identifying insect species that have the potential to switch diets to feed on other crops – something that may become an issue in certain countries as pests migrate or new crops are grown as the climate changes. e genomes will also be an important resource for the wider entomological community studying insect evolution, physiology, biochemistry and ecology. In recognition of the fact that the future of pest management will involve both better targeted chemicals and other techniques, the project also assembled the genomes of three bene cial insects, the European hover y, and the pirate bug, both of which predate crop pest species, as well as a species of parasitoid wasp that lays its eggs inside the crop pest, the cabbage stem ea beetle. Linda said: “It’s important we understand di erences between insect species, so that we can both protect crops from pests and conserve bene cials.” New open resource will accelerate research towards better targeted crop protection. Genome boost for nature-friendly pest control “Understanding the pests’ genes means we can understand the specific proteins they make.” Professor Linda Field, Rothamsted Research Professor Linda Field, Rothamsted Research