The most damaging aphid species on wheat are Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) and Sitobion avenae (F.) causing up to 30% reductions in yield by feeding on phloem sap from their host and reducing photosynthesis. Furthermore, both aphid species transmit viruses including the Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus. Typically aphids are controlled using insecticides, however following the neonicotinoid ban via recent European Union legislation and the development of insecticide resistance chemical control methods are no longer consistent or sustainable. The most useful method for insect control would be using host-resistance, however, currently there are no known aphid resistant wheat varieties that can be made available to growers.
This project will determine the mechanism of novel resistance to aphids recently discovered in a commercial wheat variety by the Ray group at the University of Nottingham. We will use mapping populations and crosses to identify the gene/s associated with the resistance discovered in this wheat variety. The project will involve the characterisation of the resistance mechanism (antibiosis and/or antixenosis) using aphid development and fecundity experiments and behaviour studies. Further elucidation studies for the candidate genes will involve omics approaches (transcriptomics, metabolomics and volatomics). Resistance will be confirmed in field studies with Syngenta as the main objective will be to identify a viable marker/s for the gene/s which will allow the rapid transfer into other commercial varieties in the near future. The student will benefit from the supervision by Dr Ray and Dr Kim at the University of Nottingham and Prof Bruce at the Keele University in the areas of crop science, chemical ecology, entomology, crop improvement and metabolomics. Furthermore, the student will work with UK and Europe-based breeders at Syngenta.
The student will develop skills in bioinformatics, crop breeding, insect behaviour and phenotyping, in addition to biostatistics and genetic analysis. The student will be based in Plant and Crop Sciences at the University of Nottingham, but training and experimental time will be spent in Pharmacy and in the Chemical Ecology Lab at The University of Nottingham and Keele University, respectively. This PhD project is co-funded by Syngenta and a PhD placement will be at Syngenta with the industrial supervisors of the project.
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