Author(s)

Peter Quandahor^1*, Iddrisu Yahaya¹, Francis Kusi¹, Issah Sugri¹, Julius Yirzagla¹, Abdul Karim Alhassan¹, Jerry A. Nboyine¹, George Y. Mahama¹, Godwin Opoku¹, Mohammed Mujitaba Dawuda², Asieku Yahaya¹, Theophilus Kwabla Tengey¹, Rofela Combey³, John Abraham³

¹CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, Tamale, Ghana.
²Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghan.
³Department of Conservational Biology and Entomology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

The introduction of invasive insect pests across national borders has become a major concern in crop production. Accordingly, national plant protection organizations are challenge to reinforce their monitoring strategies, which are hampered by the weight and size of inspection equipment, as well as the taxonomic extensiveness of interrupted species. Moreover, some insect pests that impede farmer productivity and profitability are difficult for researchers to address on time due to a lack of appropriate plant protection measures. Farmers’ reliance on synthetic pesticides and biocontrol agents has resulted in major economic and environmental ramifications. DNA barcoding is a novel technology that has the potential to improve Integrated Pest Management decision-making, which is dependent on the ability to correctly identify pest and beneficial organisms. This is due to some natural traits such as phenology or pesticide susceptibility browbeaten by IPM strategies to avert pest establishment. Specifically, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence information was applied effectively for the identification of some micro-organisms. This technology, DNA barcoding, allows for the identification of insect species by using short, standardized gene sequences. DNA barcoding is basically based on repeatable and accessible technique that allows for the mechanisation or automation of species discrimination. This technique bridges the taxonomic bio-security gap and meets the International Plant Protection Convention diagnostic standards for insect identification. This review therefore discusses DNA barcoding as a technique for insect pests’ identification and its potential application for crop protection.

DNA Barcoding, Integrated Pest Management, Taxonomy, Biosecurity, Crop Protection

Quandahor, P. , Yahaya, I. , Kusi, F. , Sugri, I. , Yirzagla, J. , Alhassan, A. , Nboyine, J. , Mahama, G. , Opoku, G. , Dawuda, M. , Yahaya, A. , Tengey, T. , Combey, R. and Abraham, J. (2024) DNA Barcoding of Insects and Its Direct Application for Plant Protection. Open Journal of Applied Sciences, 14, 676-686. doi: 10.4236/ojapps.2024.143048.