The Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, is the leading insect pest of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in northern latitudes. Host plant resistance is an important tool in an integrated pest management program for controlling insect pests. A no-choice field study was conducted in 2002 to compare natural (glandular trichomes and glycoalkaloid-based), engineered (Bt-cry3A), and combined (glandular trichomes + Bt-cry3A and glycoalkaloids + Bt-cry3A transgenic potato lines) host plant resistance mechanisms of potato for control of Colorado potato beetle in no-choice, cage field studies. Cages (2 m x 2 m x 2 m) were arranged in a randomized complete block design consisting of three replications of 10 field-grown plants per cage. Fifty first generation adult beetles were placed in each cage. Observations were recorded weekly for a visual estimation of percent defoliation and the number of individuals per plant. The Bt-cry3A transgenic lines and the combined resistance lines were effective in controlling feeding by Colorado potato beetle adults and larvae. Effectively no feeding was observed in the glycoalkaloid + Bt-cry3A transgenic line. The high glycoalkaloid line had less feeding, but the adults clipped the petioles, which led to inflated initial defoliation. The glandular trichome line suffered less feeding than the susceptible control. The Bt-cry3A gene in combination with glandular trichomes or glycoalkaloid-based host plant resistance mechanisms is an effective strategy that could be used to develop potato varieties for use in a resistance management program for control of Colorado potato beetle.
Species 1: Coleoptera Chrysomelidae Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Colorado potato beetle)
Keywords: potato
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