Host Plant Resistance to Fall Armyworm: Status and ProspectsB.M. PrasannaDirector, Global Maize Program, CIMMYTEmail: b.m.Prasanna@cgiar.org

WTO Meeting; March 19, 2019

Maize provides food, feed, and income to millions of people

Global production in 2017-18

1045millionmetric tons

Maize-dependent smallholders across Africa are highly affected by Fall Armyworm since 2016…

FAW is also challenge to commercial maize seed producers in Africa and AsiaNeed to protect the present and future seed security

How can we effectively tackle a complex pest like Fall Armyworm in Africa and Asia?

Not just by one or two tools, but with an array of relevant tools from a tool box!

Cultural Control

Biological Control

Conventional Resistance

TransgenicResistance

HabitatManagement

BiorationalPesticides

FAW Resistance through Seed Economic, ecological, and

environmental benefits

Seed can combine multiple traits, and is quickly scalable and deployable in case of native trait resistance, seed costs no more than a normal hybrid

Compatibility with other management tactics can significantly reduce the insecticide use, and enhances the effectiveness of other complementary strategies

CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center)

CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) Germplasm Bank at Mexico holds in trust ~28,000 maize accessions

CIMMYT’s breeding efforts against major insect-pests in the tropics, including Fall Armyworm, initiated in the 1970s in Mexico MIRT and MBR populations.

FAW resistance identified in Caribbeanmaize germplasm and Tuxpenogermplasm.

Parallel and significant efforts at USDA-Mississippi, Univ. of Florida, and Embrapa-Brazil.

FAW Resistance in Maize

An important germplasm base to identify, validate and deploy improved maize varieties with genetic resistance against FAW in Africa and Asia.

Facility at Kiboko, Kenya, for screening maize germplasm against FAW under artificial infestation

Similar facility being established in CIMMYT-Harare, for screening germplasm suitable for southern African agro-ecologies

Germplasm Screening against FAW

We select maize materials that show least damage to the foliage, and produce ears that show no damage.

CML338 (Rep 1) CML338 (Rep 2)

Some Promising Maize Lines under FAW Artificial Infestation (2019)

CKSBL10008 (Rep 1) CKSBL10008 (Rep 2)

CKIR04002 (Rep 1) CKIR04002 (Rep 2)

Some Promising Lines to FAW under Artificial Infestation (2019)

CKIR04005 (Rep 1) CKIR04005 (Rep 2)

Promising Maize Hybrids with FAW Tolerance (2018)

Susceptible hybrids

Susceptible hybrids

Tolerant hybrids

Tolerant hybrids

Entry PedigreeFoliar

damage(1-9)Ear damage

(1-9)61 DTPYC9-F46-1-2-1-2-BBB/CML567 4.8 2.795 CML567/CKDHL166068 5.1 3.393 CML567/CKLMARSI0183 5.1 2.849 WMA2001/CML567 5.2 2.898 CML567/CKDHL166075 5.2 2.9

100 CML567/CKDHL164290 5.2 2.988 CKDHL164260/CKDHL120566 5.4 3.740 CML488/CKDHL166068 5.4 3.0

125 CKDHL166068/CKDHL164271 5.5 2.49 CML312/CKLMARSI0183 5.5 4.1

36 CML488/CML567 5.5 2.119 CKLTI0344/DTPYC9-F46-1-2-1-2-BBB 5.5 3.8

137 Check 1 6.3 5.2138 Check 2 6.0 4.1139 Check 3 6.3 2.6

Heritability 0.43 0.29Grand Mean 5.98 3.61

LSD 0.8 2.2n Locations 2 2

FAW Tolerant and Susceptible Commercial Hybrids under Artificial Infestation (Sept 2018)

FAW-tolerant hybrid in Rep 1 and Rep 2

Susceptible Commercial Hybrids in Rep 1 and Rep 2

FAW-tolerant hybrid in Rep 1 and Rep 2

Advanced Breeding and Biotechnologies have an important role to play in combating pests like Fall Armyworm…

Genome Editing

Marker-assisted Breeding

Bt Maize

Bt Maize – Important Tool in the IPM Toolbox!

Numerous GM maize hybrids, including various combinations of cry and vip genes, commercially available in Brazil and North America

Bt deployment across seed industry in Brazil

MON 89034Cry1A.105 Cry2Ab2

2010

MON 89034 +TC15072014

TC1507Cry1F

2009

Bt11Cry1Ab

2008

MON810Cry1Ab

2011

MIR162Vip3A

MON810+TC1507

2012

5 TRAITSMON810TC1507Bt11MON89MIR162

5 PROTEINSCry1AbCry1FCry1A.105Cry2Ab2Vip3A

SINGLES STACKS

MON 810+TC1507+MIR162

2015

Need to ensure adequate refuge compliance across the agricultural landscape

Source: Mark Edge (Bayer)

Bt maize shows significant control against FAW in Africa

Uganda CFT (Jan 2017)

Uganda CFT (March 2018)

Source: TELA Project

Almost all commercial maize

varieties in Africa/Asia

Conventional / Native genetic resistance

(polygenic; low selection pressure on the insect)

Bt maize(single gene;

high selection pressure on

insect)

Resistant Partially Resistant Susceptible Highly Susceptible

Native genetic resistance and Bt-based transgenic resistance to FAW can be complementary...

Transgenic Options for FAW Management• Bt Maize

– Proven technology against pests like FAW – If integrated in suitable germplasm (e.g.,

with conventional genetic resistance to FAW), you can get an even better and durable product.

– Insect resistance management is important, similar to other technologies (e.g., insecticides, biologicals etc.)

– Stacking Bt traits with different modes of action is the best long-term strategy

• Regulatory and political barriers in Africa/Asia need to be addressed to make Bt maize a powerful and viable technology for smallholders

CIMMYT is at the forefront in technically coordinating and implementing the FAW R4D strategies and activities in both Africa and Asia…

FAW R4D International ConferenceOctober 29-31, 2018; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

220 delegates from 30 countries

Pathway to ImpactHost plant resistance should be central to IPM strategies for effective management of FAW in African and Asian agro-ecologies and cropping system landscapes.

Scaling-up and deploying FAW-tolerant/resistant varieties as an immediate relief to the farming communities

Demonstrating the efficacy of Bt maize to policy makers and stakeholders, and overcoming regulatory, political and consumer acceptance hurdles

Accelerated breeding (e.g., molecular markers) for developing elite products that combine resistance to FAW with other desirable and relevant traits for smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia.

Systematic analysis of compatibility and possible synergies between host plant resistance with other IPM approaches

Thanks!• Partners in Africa, Asia, North and South America

• Funding agencies, especially USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and MAIZE CRP.