PEST RESISTANCE

Resistance to pests is only one of many characteristics to be considered in a

breeding program. Genetic pest resistance can reduce a growers use of pesticides
and allow some crops to be more fully exploited in areas where pests have been a
limiting factor. Traits such as yield and plant habit cannot be sacrificed for pest
resistance, or growers will revertto pesticides for control and grow cultivars that
have better economic returns. When all things are equal, however, added
resistance to pests makes a crop or cultivar more desirable to grow. Some plants
complete their life cycles at a time when the pest is absent (escape) or can
withstand attack by the pest (tolerance).
There are degrees of pest resistance in plants. Plants can be totally resistant
(immune), partially resistant, or resistant only to certain races of a pest. A race is a
group within a species that is different, but not so unique from groups to be
another species. Some races of pests cause more damage than others. Although
total resistance often may be the most desirable situation, partial resistance to a
pest may greatly improve a crop and thus be economically important compared to
the cultivation of extremely susceptible cultivars.
Inherent pest resistance in a plant results in reduced symptoms or even elimination
of the effect of the pest, depending on the degree of resistance (high, intermediate,
or low). Resistance may arise as a response of the plant to the pest (responsive or
reactive resistance). For example, a plant may produce a chemical that is active
againts fungi in response to a fungal attack (passive resistance). Examples of these
types of resistance are the production of biochemicals or the presence of a surface
structure, such as cuticle, that renders the protection.
Pest resitance can be controlled by one gene (monogenic), by a few genes (digenic
or trigenic), by many genes (polygenic), or by extranuclear DNA (cytoplasmic).
Generally, the fewer genes that are involved, the easier it is to incorporate pest
resistance into a crop.
Genetic resistance may exist for one or only a few genetic races of a pest, in
which case it is considered transient, narrow, or vertical resistance. In such cases
the pest can mutate, and the mutant races will be favored because they can grow
and reproduce on the host plant and thus overcome the resistance of the host plant.
In other cases, the resistance can be broad and long-lasting if the plant is resistant
to all races of the pest. This broad (horizontal) resistance is desirable but can be
difficult to incorporate into a horticultural species because it is often polygenic.
Genetic engineering of plants may offer many advantages for adding pest
resistance to plants. Specific genes for resistance can be inserted without changing
the rest of the genotype, so cultivars can retain their desirable traits. Genes for

resistance can also come from unrelated species. For example, a gene that encodes
an insecticidal crystal protein from the bacterium Bacillus thuriengensis has been
inserted into walnut, which could potentially add insect resistance to an important
nut crop.
When purchasing seeds, a grower should be aware of pest resistance and should
utilize genetic resistance when it is practical. Tomato cultivars are often listed in
catalogs with different letters following the cultivar names. These letters indicate
pests resistance. Among the most common letters that horticulturists will note are
V, F and N, which represent verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and nematodes,
respectively. Verticillium and fusarium wilts are fungal diseases caused by soilborne pathogens. Nematodes are tiny round worms. All three pests ca be difficult
to control and can limit the productivity of a cultivar, so planting cultivars with
genetic resistance to these pests may allow more succesful production an
profitable crops.
PEST RESISTANCE TO PESTICIDES
A state previously, plant pests can mutate and circumvent pest resistance in the
host. They can also mutate and develop races with resistance to pesticides. If a
particular pesticide is used repeatedly because it is effective, those few individual
pests that do survive probably have some natural resistance to that pesticide. This
may be the result of mutations or of selection for individuals in the population
with inherent resistance to the pesticide. As the grower continues to spary with
that pesticide, only the resistant pests will survive and reproduce. This may soon
result in a new population of the pest with resistance to the pesticide, and this
population has the potential to be devastating. Such repeated use of pesticides
effectively breeds (selects for) resistance into pest populations, making specific
pesticides obsolete by destroying their efficacy. Therefore, pesticides from
different classes of chemicals with different modes of action that control the same
pest should be used in rotation. For example, an applicator might use one
pesticide for three or four months, a second pesticide for the next three or four
months, and finally a third pesticide for the following three or four months before
starting the rotation over again. The chances of a pest population mutating and
developing resistance to all three pesticides is quite low, especially if the three
pesticides come from different chemicals families. Wise use of pesticides, based
on an understanding of their use, can lead to very effective pest control. Intelligent
use of pesticides can also be important in an integrated pest management (IPM)
program.