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Options in developing stemborer-resistant maize: CIMMYT's approaches and experiences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

S.N. Mugo
Affiliation:
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo, CIMMYT), P. O. Box 25171, Nairobi, Kenya
D. Bergvinson
Affiliation:
CIMMYT, Lisboa 06600, Mexico D.F., Mexico
D. Hoisington
Affiliation:
CIMMYT, Lisboa 06600, Mexico D.F., Mexico
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Abstract

Various insect pests, of which stemborers are the most widely distributed and damaging, affect about 30 out of the 35 million hectares planted with maize in developing countries. Chemical control, biological control; cultural methods and host plant resistance constitute the four general approaches to stemborer control. The use of stemborer-resistant maize increases farming efficiency by both reducing yield losses from stemborer damage and reducing or eliminating the cost of insecticides and other inputs. In the past, CIMMYT followed conventional breeding methods to develop germplasm resistant to stemborers and molecular technology, quantitative trait loci (QTL) in marker-assisted selection (MAS) to select for improved stemborer resistance in elite lines. More recently, CIMMYT has developed the capacity to produce transgenic maize with resistance factor(s) derived from genes that encode delta-endotoxins derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). A sub-tropical source population with multiple borer resistance (MBR population) was developed by recombination and recurrent selection under infestation with four stemborer species. Marker-assisted selection is being used in two African countries to promote the transfer of resistance into elite and adapted germplasm. The Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) project is pursuing the transfer of Bt-based resistance to adapted maize germplasm, initially in Kenya, but later to other interested African countries. CIMMYT's varietal release strategy is to pyramid Bt genes into maize populations with existing multigenic pest resistance, in order to enhance both the levels and durability of plant resistance to maize pests. This paper discusses the various approaches used at CIMMYT to develop stemborer-resistant maize germplasm.

Résumé

Plusieurs espèces d'insectes infestent environ 30 sur 35 million d'hectares plantés de maïs dans les pays en voie de développement. Parmi ceux-ci, les foreurs sont les plus destructifs et les plus largement repartis. La lutte chimique, biologique, les méthodes culturales et l'utilisation des plantes résistantes forment les quatres approches courantes de lutte contre les foreurs. L'utilisation du maïs résistant aux foreurs augmentent l'efficacité culturale en réduisant les pertes en récoltes dues aux foreurs grâce à la réduction ou l'élimination des dépenses en insecticides ou autres entrants agricoles. Dans le passé CIMMYT a suivi la méthode conventionnelle des multiplications pour développer du matériel génétique résistant aux foreurs, la technologie moleculaire, l'aspect quantitatif du loci (QTL) des marqueurs assistés (MAS) aide à selectionner dans les lignes elites une meilleure resistance aux foreurs. Plus recemment, le CIMMYT a développé la capacité de produire un maïs transgénique avec des facteurs de résistance dérivés des gènes qui codent pour une delta-endotoxin dérivée des bactéries du sol Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Une souche sous tropicale avec une résistance multiple aux foreurs a été dévéloppée par recombinaison et selection recurrente sous une infestation de quatres espèces de foreurs. La sélection par marqueur assisté est actuellement utilisée dans 2 pays africains pour promouvoir le transfert de la résistance dans le matériel génétique élite adapté. Le projet sur la résistance du maïs aux insects (IRMA) suit le transfert de la résistance basée sur Bt au matériel génétique de maïs adapté, initiallement au Kenya, et après aux autres pays africains qui s'y intéresseraient. La stratégie de propogation des variétés de CIMMYT est d'insérer le gène de Bt dans les populations de maïs ayant des gènes multiples de résistances aux ravageurs dans l'optique d'améliorer les niveaux et la durée de la résistances des plantes aux ravageurs du maïs. Cet article discute des différentes approches utilisées par CIMMYT pour dévélopper un materiel génétiquement résistant aux foreurs de tiges de maïs.

Type
Research Articles
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2001

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