Agroaldea
The research is conducted at the Institute of Horticulture Subtropical and Mediterranean (IHSM) 'The Mayora'.
The researcher Eduardo de la Peña, just get a credit line (90.000 EUR) through National Research Plan, in a call for young researchers, to develop a project aimed at improve management methods in the tomato crop and understand the physiological and molecular mechanisms that regulate the interaction between the plant, insect pests and natural enemies of these.
The project, What It lasts three years (2016-2019), It allows also characterize the biocide potential of some of the compounds of defense naturally induced in tomato.
According to De la Peña, to act against aphids there are several complementary lines of action, among which the development of crop varieties resistant to insects and biological control through natural enemies of insect pests.
"In both approaches is needed understanding the mechanisms of plant defense, responsible for interaction with both phytophagous insects and their natural enemies, and understand the physiological responses that this interaction triggers insects, essential to decipher the mechanisms involved in the selection of the host plant ', designates.
Current strategies management of these insect pests se basan, fundamentally, the use of insecticides, so it is necessary to improve and develop alternative production methods that reduce the use of these chemicals.
The research aims study how the trichomes of the plant affect the interaction with different species of tomato insect pests, as aphids, and its role in relations with the natural enemies of these. Trichomes can induce defense mechanisms of the plant and thus influence other plant-insect interactions, and plant-insect-enemy Natural, According to De la Peña.
The study will combine greenhouse tests and laboratory molecular and microscopic studies in plants and insects. In this sense, serve to check the resistance of tomato varieties aphids-plague.
According to De la Peña, in the research project developed varieties of tomatoes will be used and obtained by the IHSM La Mayora from crosses of commercial varieties and wild tomato varieties.
[quote]The Malaga center has a tomato germplasm bank is considered one of the largest in Spain with 1.200 varieties.[/quote]
The knowledge gained through this project It will improve the biological control of pests in a culture of undoubted importance and great economic impact nationally.
Spain is the second largest tomato producer in the European Union (EU) after Italy, according to Eurostat. Tomato production in the EU reached in 2013 the 14,9 million tonnes, of those who 5,2 million came from Italy (the 35 % of the total), 3,8 Spain million (25 %) and 1,2 millions of Portugal (8 %).
The tomato is still the most widely grown vegetable in the world and the highest economic value. Demand increases and with it its cultivation, production and trade. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and environment, the annual increase in production in Spain is due more to increased performance and lower proportion, in acreage.