
ARS Develops Leafminer-Resistant Lettuce
December 5, 2008 |
Crispy green lettuce leaves are top choices not only by salad lovers but also by troublesome insects known as leafminers (Liriomyza langei). Adult leafminers puncture lettuce leaves to feed on the sap. Females, on the other hand, lay eggs on leaf tissues. Worm-like larvae hatch from the eggs and feed on the upper and lower surface of the leaves, making distinctive winding, whitish mine-like tunnels. To combat the destructive pest, scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) developed the world's first leafminer-resistant green leaf lettuce.
Beiquan Mou and Edward Ryder screened more than 100 kinds of lettuce from ARS' lettuce collection. In addition to its leafminer resistance, the attractive, robust new lettuce can shrug off attacks by lettuce mosaic virus. This disease, spread by green peach aphids (Myzus persicae), gives leaves a sickly mottled or mosaic appearance, rendering the lettuce unmarketable.
Read the complete article at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/081201.htm
|
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Nuclear Plant Breeding Could Help Feed the World’s Hungry
- Increased Investment in Agriculture will Yield High Benefits
- FAO: Global Warming Threatens Pacific Food Security
- NEPAD Workshop Discusses Challenges for North Africa
- KARI Launches Insect-Proof Biosafety Greenhouse
- BECA Bioinformatics Workshop Upgrade East African Students
- ARS Develops Leafminer-Resistant Lettuce
- Genomic Tool to Study Soybean Gene Functions
- SemBioSys Begins Phase I/II Clinical Trial of Plant-Produced Insulin
- Monsanto Confirms Safety of Research Cotton in Texas
- Monsanto Acquires Brazilian Sugarcane Companies
- Vietnamese Scientists Receive Awards
- Philippines Allows Import of Bt Cotton Seeds from India
- Arcadia Gets $3.6 M to Develop Hardy Crops in India
- EFSA's Opinion on Pioneer's GM Maize
- Biotech in Europe
-
Research Highlights
- Genes that Govern Toxin Production in Gray Mold Found
- Epigenetics: Forgetting Might be as Important as Remembering
- Pathogen Disables Plant’s ‘Intruder Alarm’ to Gain Entry
-
Announcements
- 2nd World Seed Conference 2009
- BIOFEVER in Indonesia
-
Resources
- Bt Brinjal in India
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet