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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Genetics and Breeding Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305930
Title: Integrated pest management is the lucrative bridge connecting the ever emerging knowledge islands of genetics and ecology

Author
item Ni, Xinzhi
item LEI, ZHONGREN - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item HE, KANGLAI - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item LI, XIN - Northwest Agriculture And Forestry University
item LI, XIANCHUN - University Of Arizona
item XU, WENWEI - Texas Agrilife

Submitted to: Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/13/2014
Publication Date: 10/1/2014
Citation: Ni, X., Lei, Z., He, K., Li, X., Li, X., Xu, W. 2014. Integrated pest management is the lucrative bridge connecting the ever emerging knowledge islands of genetics and ecology. Insect Science. 21(5):537-540.

Interpretive Summary: The introduction of transgenic crops has revolutionized crop protection and pest management by combining crop protection and genetics into one entity – the seed. However, before the arrival of transgenic technology, studies of insect-plant interactions and pest management were frequently categorized under the field of ecology. In order to simultaneously examine the critical and dynamic interactions between genetics and ecology of both crops and pests, a template was proposed based on a principle in genetics – the Hardy-Weinberg Principle. Such a holistic approach to integrally elucidating dynamic interactions between genetics and ecology in a given crop/pest ecosystem could be visualized in a geometric quadrant.

Technical Abstract: Integrated pest management has long been considered a profit- and product (or technology)-driven multidisciplinary research field that maximizes crop yield and minimizes pest-inflicted economic losses. The introduction of transgenic crops has revolutionized crop protection and pest management by combining crop protection and genetics into one entity – the seed, whereas studies of insect-plant interactions and pest management were frequently categorized under the field of ecology before the arrival of transgenic technology. In order to dissect a pest problem for its cause and effect in agroecosystems, both deterministic genetic factors and stochastic ecological factors have to be examined simultaneously, although research data are frequently collected on either one or multiple factors, rather than holistically under the given field conditions. A template was proposed to adapt the Hardy-Weinberg Principle for two alleles in population genetics for the purpose of dissecting the critical and dynamic interactions between genetics and ecology of both crops and pests to improve IPM programs. Such a holistic approach to elucidating temporal interactions between genetics and ecology in a given crop/pest ecosystem could be visualized in a geometric quadrant.