This floors they ‘learn’ to defend themselves against pests By modifying certain genes that destroy them, a certain group of plants has succeeded in synthesizing a pheromone that can repel moths, opening up a new possibility for agriculture. may cease its indiscriminate use. pesticide.
It is one of the promising results achieved by the Supreme Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and the Institute for the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Plants of Valencia (IBMCP) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, which has found the key to turning plants. They become masters of their destiny.
What they replace is a nicotine plant from the tobacco family., Nicotiana benthamiana As Rubén Mateos, one of the signatories of this study, which was conducted in collaboration with the Earlham Institute in Norwich (UK), explains, this plant was chosen because “it is very well characterized genetically and is widely used in the laboratory and is very manageable”. .
Using precision genetic engineering techniques, the group inserted moth genes into the tree and created a metabolic pathway that would allow it to “produce female pheromones.” Once the plant has the ability to produce this substance, creates a pheromone cloud around itself that “female moths cannot call males”, IBMCP researcher Elena Moreno, who is also one of the signatories of this article, insists that “plagues do not develop” because of this.
Plants defend themselves and meanwhile insects are still alive. “Species survive outside of crops, so we also prevent collateral damage from other pesticides. or other traps,” insists the scientist. Additionally, because it is a particular hormone, it “affects only one species” that is most harmful to crops and not the rest, and can continue to maintain its biological functions without fear of being destroyed.
Genetic modification was carried out by means of a bacterium. “What we do is kind of agrobacteria with certain genes that we want a leaf to infect its cells with,” says Mateos. A tumor forms on the disc of the leaf, after which the plant regenerates. “It’s a controlled process,” insists the researcher.
Once these results are achieved, the scientists believe the process can be improved both to adapt to other types of pests –this technique can also be used with cochineal– to avoid collateral issues.
Genetic pressure also caused the plant to grow less than normal. This is because it uses some of the fatty acids it uses to grow to create these pheromones. Therefore, researchers are currently working to optimize this process. “What we propose is a way to express these genes only when we want them,” Moreno explains.
The idea is that plants can only emit these pheromones when they reach their “optimal growth level.” as the researcher insisted. Something they will do with an external application of copper.
But his research doesn’t end there. Researchers are also trying to reproduce this trait in other plants. “We will also try to turn the commercial tobacco plant into a biodispersant,” confirms the researcher.
This will allow andtomorrow you can “plant” the chicken instead of putting plastic traps Nicotine genetically modified protecting the entire crop, regardless of whether it is nicotine or any other type”.
Reference work: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.14048
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