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Assessment of Pigeonpea ( Cajanus cajan L.) transgenics expressing Bt ICPs, Cry2Aa and Cry1AcF under nethouse containment implicated an effective control against herbivory by Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner)
Author(s) -
Ramkumar Nikhil,
Rathinam Maniraj,
Singh Shweta,
Kesiraju Karthik,
Muniyandi Vikraman,
Singh Nagendra Kumar,
Dash Prasanta K,
Sreevathsa Rohini
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.5722
Subject(s) - helicoverpa armigera , biology , cajanus , bacillus thuringiensis , genetically modified crops , microbiology and biotechnology , population , genetically modified organism , germplasm , agronomy , transgene , lepidoptera genitalia , gene , genetics , botany , bacteria , demography , sociology
BACKGROUND Pigeonpea is a source of quality proteins and the main constituent of a well‐balanced diet for majority of Indian population. One of the major constraints in the production of pigeonpea is a polyphagous insect pest, Helicoverpa armigera . Non‐availability of resistant sources in the germplasm and limitations in conventional breeding have been key factors for continued yield losses. Additionally, hazards of chemical fertilizers on the environment have prompted the scientific community to develop alternative strategies. Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ) insecticidal proteins (ICPs) have emerged as the most reliable source for the control of insect pests through transgenics. RESULTS Transgenic pigeonpea plants harboring validated Bt ICPs, Cry2Aa and Cry1AcF were developed by a non‐tissue culture based in planta transformation strategy and assessed for integration of Transfer‐DNA (T‐DNA) and efficacy against pod borer under in vitro conditions. For the first time this study demonstrates the successful evaluation of 19 transgenic pigeonpea events (11 with cry2Aa and 8 with cry1AcF ) under soil and pot conditions in a nethouse containment. The stability in the performance was assessed stringently by deliberate H. armigera larval challenging. The trial identified ten promising events of both the genes that portrayed reduced damage to the herbivore. CONCLUSION We present the first ever successful evaluation of pigeonpea transgenics with the ability to mitigate pod borer under nethouse conditions . The transgenics depicted molecular evidence for the stability of T‐DNA integration, consistency in the expression of Cry proteins and resistance against H. armigera . These events can form a pool of useful transgenics to manage the devastating pod borer. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry