Heritable reduction in insect feeding on brassicaceae plants
AssigneeThe University of Montana
InventorsStorrs Thomas Mitchell-Olds, David Henry Siemens
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Abstract
A method for producing plants of the Brassicaceae family that have reduced feeding by cruciferous insects is disclosed. The method comprises selecting for the heritable trait of altered total non-seed glucosinolate levels or for the heritable trait of increased myrosinase activity. Selection may be performed on Brassicaceae cultivars, mutagenized populations or wild populations, including the species Brassica napus, B. campestris and Arabidopsis thaliana. Plants having such altered levels show reduced feeding by cruciferous insects, including flea beetle, diamond back moth and cabbage butterfly. Plants selected for altered levels of both glucosinolates and myrosinase also show reduced feeding by cruciferous insects.
Claims25
A method for producing a cruciferous plant having a heritable reduction in susceptibility to cotyledon or leaf feeding by Phyllotreta insects, comprising the steps of:
- a) selecting, in a population of P.sub.0 Brassicaceae plants having a mean total non-seed glucosinolate level, at least one P.sub.0 plant having a total non-seed glucosinolate level that is decreased sufficiently, relative to said total non-seed glucosinolate level in said P.sub.0 population, to reduce susceptibility to cotyledon or leaf feeding by Phyllotreta insects;
- b) producing P.sub.1 progeny from said at least one P.sub.0 plant;
- c) identifying at least one P.sub.1 plant that inherits said decreased total glucosinolate level, thereby producing said plant having said reduced susceptibility to cotyledon or leaf feeding by said insects.
A method for producing a cruciferous plant having a heritable reduction in cotyledon or leaf feeding by Phyllotreta insects, comprising the steps of:
- a) selecting, in a population of P.sub.0 Brassicaceae plants having a mean myrosinase activity, at least one P.sub.0 plant having a level of myrosinase activity that is increased sufficiently, relative to said myrosinase activity in said P.sub.0 population, to reduce susceptibility to cotyledon or leaf feeding by cruciferous insects;
- b) producing P.sub.1 progeny from said at least one P.sub.0 plant;
- c) identifying at least one P.sub.1 plant that inherits said increased myrosinase activity, thereby producing said plant having said reduced susceptibility to cotyledon or leaf feeding by said insects.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.