Articles
DNA BARCODING AND ITS RELEVANCE TO PESTS, PLANTS AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
Article number
823_3
Pages
41 – 48
Language
English
Abstract
Sustainability of modern food production requires the ability to confidently monitor, identify and distinguish a wide variety of insect and plant species.
Virtually all industries are susceptible to direct damage from insect pests and weeds, and also from associated diseases transmitted by them.
Additionally, in order to limit reliance on pesticide usage, the importation and use of biocontrol agents will increase as an option to reduce economic losses while limiting any negative impacts on the environment.
Many insect or plant species encountered by farmers, gardeners, government officials or researchers cannot be easily identified in a timely manner, and in cases where a non-indigenous species is discovered, delays in deploying appropriate management strategies can have serious economic and environmental consequences.
A novel methodology known as DNA barcoding has the potential to mitigate the challenges posed by identification of insect and plant species.
By comparing mitochondrial DNA sequences derived from an unknown specimen against a reference database of DNA profiles of known species, genetic identifications are possible.
This approach has several benefits over the existing system of morphological identification: it is applicable to all sexes and life stages, as well as to fragmentary remains, and is typically more accurate, rapid and cost-effective than rearing immature stages to adulthood for identification.
The effectiveness of DNA barcoding as an identification tool will continue to improve as the reference database is further expanded.
Here we discuss DNA barcoding as a method which aims to facilitate species discrimination using standardised and largely automated techniques, and which promises both to accelerate insect and plant diagnostics and to broaden the accessibility of data.
Virtually all industries are susceptible to direct damage from insect pests and weeds, and also from associated diseases transmitted by them.
Additionally, in order to limit reliance on pesticide usage, the importation and use of biocontrol agents will increase as an option to reduce economic losses while limiting any negative impacts on the environment.
Many insect or plant species encountered by farmers, gardeners, government officials or researchers cannot be easily identified in a timely manner, and in cases where a non-indigenous species is discovered, delays in deploying appropriate management strategies can have serious economic and environmental consequences.
A novel methodology known as DNA barcoding has the potential to mitigate the challenges posed by identification of insect and plant species.
By comparing mitochondrial DNA sequences derived from an unknown specimen against a reference database of DNA profiles of known species, genetic identifications are possible.
This approach has several benefits over the existing system of morphological identification: it is applicable to all sexes and life stages, as well as to fragmentary remains, and is typically more accurate, rapid and cost-effective than rearing immature stages to adulthood for identification.
The effectiveness of DNA barcoding as an identification tool will continue to improve as the reference database is further expanded.
Here we discuss DNA barcoding as a method which aims to facilitate species discrimination using standardised and largely automated techniques, and which promises both to accelerate insect and plant diagnostics and to broaden the accessibility of data.
Authors
R.H. Hanner, J. Lima, R. Floyd
Keywords
DNA barcodes, pest management, biocontrol agent, weed
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