INSECT HERBIVORY IS A MAJOR AGRICULTURAL PROBLEM THAT LEADS TO CROP LOSSES DUE TO PEST ATTACK AND OVERUSE OF PESTICIDES. SOLANACEAE CROPS ARE OF PARTICULAR CONCERN REGARDING PEST INFESTATIONS AND PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS. THIS RESEARCH AIMS AT INTROGRESSING A MULTI-COMPONENT TRAIT FROM NATURAL GENETIC VARIATION PRESENT IN WILD TOMATO RELATIVES INTO THE CULTIVATED SPECIES TO CONFER BROAD RESISTANCE AGAINST INSECTS. THEREFORE, WE AIM TO UNDERSTAND THE GENETICS BEHIND EACH COMPONENT OF THE TRAIT (TYPE-IV TRICHOME DEVELOPMENT AND DENSITY, EFFECTIVE ACYLSUGAR MOIETY AND EXUDATION LEVELS) AND TO DELIVER A PLANT VARIETY SHOWCASING THIS BROAD RESISTANCE. WE WILL 1) STACK FOUR LOCI (THREE OF EACH ARE NOVEL LOCI IDENTIFIED BY US) INTO A SINGLE GENOTYPE AND TEST THE INTROGRESSED MATERIAL FOR PEST RESISTANCE IN THE LAB AND FIELD CONDITIONS. 2) WE WILL MAP TWO OF THE NOVEL LOCI (GAS AND GYM) THROUGH A GENOMIC APPROACH (MAPPING BY SEQUENCING) AND FINE-TUNE THE OTHER NOVEL LOCUS (GET) TO THE GENE LEVEL. 3) WE WILL ESTABLISH THE ONTOGENETIC RELATIONSHIP OF A NON-GLANDULAR TRICHOME (TYPE V) INTO THE GLANDULAR STRUCTURE (TYPE IV), WHICH HAS IMPLICATIONS TO DEFENSE AGAINST ARTHROPOD HERBIVORY. ALTOGETHER, THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A NOVEL, NATURAL, BROAD, AND USEFUL BREEDING TOOL AGAINST THE MAJOR TOMATO PESTS, AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENETICS BEHIND THIS COMPLEX TRAIT THAT COULD BE EXTENDED TO OTHER SOLANACEAE CROPS, SUCH AS THE POTATO, TOBACCO, PEPPERS, EGGPLANT, AND PETUNIA. THEREFORE, WE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO RESOLVING A MAJOR PROBLEM IN AGRICULTURE IN TOMATO AND POTENTIALLY OTHER SOLANACEAE CROPS.