Techniques and Methods to Evaluate the Chemical Bases of Insect Resistance in the Rice Plant

Abstract

The development of rice cultivars with insect resistance has led to major increases in food production in many developing nations of the tropical areas in the world. These cultivars have played a major role in the “green revolution” in south and southeast Asia. During the development of these cultivars, several entomological techniques and evaluation methods were pioneered. These techniques were developed in many instances to evaluate the underlying chemical mechanisms mediating insect resistance in rice germplasm. Many of the techniques have made use of existing technologies but in several cases, new technologies have been developed to aid in the progress of entomological research in the area of insect resistance in rice.