Development of Multiple Pest Resistant Crop Cultivars

Insects are one, among a number, of biotic and abiotic constraints that limit the production of food crops. Entomologists can play a key role in increasing food production through the development of insect-resistant crop cultivars. Resistant cultivars are sought as a major tactic in the development of IPM strategies and have been shown to be compatible with biological, chemical and cultural control tactics. There has been significant progress in the breeding and commercial utilization of multiple pest resistant crop cultivars having resistance to insects, diseases and nematodes. The most notable examples are rice cultivars which are grown on millions of hectares in Asia. Multiple pest resistant crop cultivars have high yield stability when grown in pest-infested environments. The most successful cultivars have resistance to the major stresses in an area. These cultivars must have characteristics that farmers desire and grain quality that is consumer acceptable. Development of pest resistant crop cultivars calls for close collaboration among plant breeders, entomologists, plant pathologists, nematologists, weed scientists, soil scientists, plant physiologists and socio-economists. In spite of the achievements in developing multiple pest resistant cultivars, biotypes have limited their use. In addition, there still are numerous pests, for which resistant cultivars are not yet commercially available. Biotechnology techniques will likely solve some of the constraints that have mitigated the use of host plant resistance as a major tactic in the integrated management of crop pests