Recent history and future trends in host–plant resistance

Abstract

Abstract Host–plant resistance (HPR) is a subdiscipline in entomology that aims to understand, develop, and deploy crop varieties resistant to arthropod herbivores. The seminal figure in HPR was Reginald Painter, whose 1951 monograph Insect Resistance in Crop Plants established a conceptual framework and methodological approach for applied research on plant resistance. In the 75 years since the publication of this book, the empirical and multidisciplinary approach established by Painter has led to the development and use of hundreds of arthropod-resistant crop varieties. Much of the success of HPR research has been, and will continue to be, tied to advances in scientific disciplines related to HPR, such as plant breeding and genetics, analytical chemistry, and plant–insect interactions. However, given the challenges facing agriculture and pest management over the coming decades, increased attention will need to be given to the deployment of resistant varieties and the integration of resistant varieties into integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Recent advances in our understanding of fundamental aspects of the interactions between plants and herbivores provide insights that can facilitate the increased use of plant resistance in IPM programs, and the diverse membership of the Entomological Society of America can play a critical role by increasing communication between scientists interested in applied and fundamental aspects of plant resistance to insects.