Functional analysis of Peregrinus maidis sex determination genes and their potential use in genetic pest management

The corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis, is a destructive pest of corn and sorghum. It damages crop plants directly by feeding, as well as indirectly by transmitting Maize mosaic rhabdovirus (MMV) and Maize stripe tenuivirus (MSpV). In combination these significantly reduce crop yield. Insecticide treatment and host plant resistance are the main methods for controlling P. maidis, and thus the viruses it vectors. However, while applying insecticides is convenient and effective, it can easily lead to pest resistance. While host plant resistance is a more sustainable method, host information concerning resistance to P. maidis and the viruses it vectors remains scarce, limiting choice of cultivars. Here we aim to develop new solutions. We assessed the function of key genes in the P. maidis sex determination pathway for use in downstream CRISPR-based control methods, precision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT).