BREAD: Towards Biological Control of Insect Oil Palm Pests

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

PI: Raymond St. Leger (University of Maryland) Co-PI: Thomas A. Miller (University of California, Riverside) Collaborator: Charles Dewhurst (Papua New Guinea Oil Palm Research Association, Papua New Guinea) Arthropod pests destroy about 25% of the world's annual crop production. Since the introduction of chemical insecticides in the 1940s, arthropod pest control has relied heavily upon chemical insecticides. However, the development of insect resistance, and the environmental and health impacts of these chemicals has stimulated the search for alternative pest control methods. More than 80% of the reports of pest problems in Papua New Guinea (PNG) each year derive from a group of long-horn grasshoppers collectively known as Sexava, which defoliate oil palms in large outbreaks. Through proof-of-concept basic research, this project will focus on understanding and testing an alternative pest control approach towards mitigation of long-horn grasshopper insect pest. The fungus Metarhizium anisopliae strain 443 is specific to long-horns and could be mass produced at low cost, but adequate crop protection requires that the fungus be more potent. First, the infectivity of M. anisopliae will be used as a delivery system for insecticidal proteins to improve virulence of the fungus. M. anisopliae will be engineered to express insecticidal peptides from scorpion or spider, to increase the efficacy of the biocontrol agent with a reduced spore dose and time of treatment. Second, molecular strategies will be tested to block production of fungal spores in order to prevent the potential spread of transgenes when the fungus passed through the insect host. The overall goal of the project is to carry out initial work towards a biological pest control agent with genetic containment. The broader impact of this research is expected to extend beyond M. anisopliae in providing a model for host-pathogen interactions. The project will provide basic insight for the development of biological pest control agents. Project progress and outcomes will be accessible on a project web site at the University of Maryland (http://TEGR.umd.edu) and through publication in open access journals. Finally, this project supports a postdoctoral scholar and emphasizes the inclusion of underrepresented minorities in research that integrates genetic, molecular, physiological and observational approaches.