Molecular genetics and insect pest management

Abstract

The use of molecular approaches has dramatically changed the entire field of genetics, and this in turn has greatly affected applications of genetic technology including the area of pest management. The shift to molecular
based techniques has brought many advantages, including the broader applicability to a wide range of species. In particular, this shift has done much to move the field away from the frustrations often associated with attempts to
transfer genetic tools developed in Drosophila directly to pest species. Current applications of molecular genetic technologies in pest control include cutting-edge systems for genome editing and the use of RNA interference for selectively knocking out the expression of individual genes. Finally, as the field of genetics has shifted its focus from the analysis of individual genes to that of entire genomes, the application of genetic technology for management of insect pests has moved along a parallel track and brought even greater opportunities for enhancing the success of control programs.