Abstract
BackgroundWhile the rapidly increasing global population has led to a dramatically increased demand for the agricultural production, there have been heavy economic losses owing to various pest attacks on different food crops. The advancement of various biotechnological techniques have come as a boon in addressing the global concern and leads to the development of novel varieties that have proven to be highly economical, pesticide resistant and environmentally safe.Main bodyThe present review was aimed to update the recent developments that have taken place in the field of crop production. Major focus was laid predominantly on such genes that have demonstrated positive effects and proved to be of commercial success at the market primarily due to the development of pest-resistant transgenic food crops with expression of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins. This technology has been effective against a wide range of pests including coleopterans, lepidopterans, hemipterans, dipterans, strongylida (nematodes) and rhabditida. In similar lines various plant derived toxic proteins were also discussed along with different genes that code for insect resistant proteins such as δ-endotoxins and secreted toxins. This article also helps in understanding the structural features of the genes that are endowed with insect resistance followed by their mechanism of action on pests. Further the role of secondary metabolites in controlling the pests was addressed. The Pros and Cons of existing tools of insect pest management were demonstrated.ConclusionsNovel technologies are necessary in crop improvement to progress the pace of the breeding programs, to confer insect resistance in crop plants. Therefore, the future aim of crop biotechnology is to engineer a sustainable, multi-mechanistic resistance to insect pests considering the diversity of plant responses to insect attack.
Highlights
Phytophagous insects Insects belonging to the class Insecta are the most diverse group of arthropods and two thirds of them are phytophagous i.e. feed on living plant parts
Novel technologies are necessary in crop improvement to progress the pace of the breeding programs, to confer insect resistance in crop plants
The future aim of crop biotechnology is to engineer a sustainable, multi-mechanistic resistance to insect pests considering the diversity of plant responses to insect attack
Summary
Integrated pest management combined with other control methods like chemical, physical and planting both Bt and non-Bt together is more effective. New molecular techniques have to be applied in order to overcome insect pest resistance by merging RNAi to Bt may considerably delay resistance, especially in bollworm. Molecular tools like CRISPR-based gene drivers can be employed to extend the target genetic elements through large numbers of inhabitants in combination with Bttransgenic crops may lead to effective pest resistance management with ecofriendly methods
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