Weevil Resistant Sweetpotato Through Biotechnology

Ghislain, Marc; Tovar, Jose C.; Prentice, Katterinne; Ormachea, M.; Rivera, Cristina; Manrique, S.; Kreuze, Jan; Rukarwa, R. J.; Sefasi, A.; Mukasa, Settumba B.; Ssemakula, G.; Wamalwa, Lydia N.; Machuka, Jesse

doi:10.17660/actahortic.2013.974.10

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Since insecticidal proteins tend to be moderately host specific, the first step in working towards a transgenic plant is to identify proteins active against SPW (Rukarwa et al 2013). Several proteins have been identified as toxic to SPW and it has been demonstrated that they could be used independently (Hernández-Martínez et al 2020;Prentice et al 2011). Although transgenic approaches are a routine and widely used component of other crop systems for insect control, similar to the case with a gene suppression strategy, it remains at an early stage for sweetpotato as effective SPW protein toxins or their requisite transgene expression is limiting (Morán et al 1998;Hernández-Martínez et al 2020).…”

Section: Transgenic Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tailoring IPM plans to fight a cloaked pest: helping smallholder farmers combat the sweetpotato weevil in sub-Saharan Africa

Keyser,

Walters,

Turner

et al. 2024

CABI Agric Biosci

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Africa accounts for a significant portion of the world’s sweetpotato production where it is widely grown as a staple crop. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), sweetpotato serves as an important year-round source of calories and nutrition, a form of income for smallholder and pre-commercial farmers, and is increasingly used as silage for animal feed. However, yield per hectare is considerably lower in SSA than from other regions primarily due to sweetpotato weevils (SPW, Cylas spp., Coleoptera: Brentidae). Weevil feeding causes physical damage to the root and can induce chemical responses that give the storage root a bitter taste, both of which make them unmarketable. Commercial growers in many developed countries rely on frequent chemical treatments and strict quarantine regulations to control SPW, however, this approach is currently not practical for many areas of SSA. In this paper we, (1) outline factors that contribute to SPW infestation; (2) review available strategies and ongoing research for control of SPW, including chemical pesticides, biological control (macro-organismal as well as microbial control), cultural practices, selective breeding, and biotechnology; and (3) discuss the potential for implementing an integrated pest management (IPM) approach that leverages a combination of techniques. We rationalize that a multifaceted strategy for SPW control will improve both the quantity and quality of sweetpotato production in Africa.

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Section: Transgenic Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tailoring IPM plans to fight a cloaked pest: helping smallholder farmers combat the sweetpotato weevil in sub-Saharan Africa

Keyser,

Walters,

Turner

et al. 2024

CABI Agric Biosci

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“…Therefore, Bt sweetpotato varieties expressing these Cry proteins might be protected against weevils. To that end, the corresponding genes were introduced into sweetpotato via Agrobacterium tumefaciens genetic transformation (Ghislain et al 2013 ). Assuming weevil pests will be controlled through the expression of the Cry proteins in sweetpotato, it is important to assess the impact of these proteins on other organisms in the sweetpotato growing environments, like other insect control technologies.…”

Section: Weevil-resistant (Bt) Sweetpotato For Ugandamentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of relevant non-target organisms exposed to weevil-resistant Bt sweetpotato in Uganda

et al. 2013

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Assessment of the impact of transgenic crops on non-target organisms (NTO) is a prerequisite to their release into the target environment for commercial use. Transgenic sweetpotato varieties expressing Cry proteins (Bt sweetpotato) are under development to provide effective protection against sweetpotato weevils (Coleoptera) which cause severe economic losses in sub-Saharan Africa. Like any other pest control technologies, genetically engineered crops expressing insecticidal proteins need to be evaluated to assess potential negative effects on non-target organisms that provide important services to the ecosystem. Beneficial arthropods in sweetpotato production systems can include pollinators, decomposers, and predators and parasitoids of the target insect pest(s). Non-target arthropod species commonly found in sweetpotato fields that are related taxonomically to the target pests were identified through expert consultation and literature review in Uganda where Bt sweetpotato is expected to be initially evaluated. Results indicate the presence of few relevant non-target Coleopterans that could be affected by Coleopteran Bt sweetpotato varieties: ground, rove and ladybird beetles. These insects are important predators in sweetpotato fields. Additionally, honeybee (hymenoptera) is the main pollinator of sweetpotato and used for honey production. Numerous studies have shown that honeybees are unaffected by the Cry proteins currently deployed which are homologous to those of the weevil-resistant Bt sweetpotato. However, because of their feeding behaviour, Bt sweetpotato represents an extremely low hazard due to negligible exposure. Hence, we conclude that there is good evidence from literature and expert opinion that relevant NTOs in sweetpotato fields are unlikely to be affected by the introduction of Bt sweetpotato in Uganda.

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