Over the years, hundreds of compounds have been used to control the beetle, but the insect consistently develops resistance. New Mexico State scientists have addressed the problem by inserting a gene in the potato. The gene acts as a natural beetle repellent and doesn't harm humans or animals. In field trials at Michigan State, beetles infested ordinary potatoes but did not eat or even land on the new variety. Working with Rutgers, New Mexico scientists are also inserting the gene in the eggplant to make it resistant to the insect.
Databases eliminate duplicative efforts.
Researchers from USDA and the Land-Grant universities are working together to collect genetic information that can help create better plants and animals. The databases have helped keep costs down by eliminating overlapping efforts. In turn, this map will be used for finding genes in more complex plants such as rice, sorghum, and corn. Root-knot nematodes are one of the most serious pests of cultivated crops. Fortunately, some plant species have genes that make them resistant to the nematodes.