Transfer of Bruchid Resistance from the Common Bean to Other Starchy Grain Legumes by Genetic Engineering with the α-Amylase Inhibitor Gene

The seeds of starchy legumes are an important source of food for man, but as with other crops, insect pests cause considerable crop losses. Particularly devastating is the damage done by different species of bruchids, coleopteran insects that belong to the family Bruchidae. The damage is caused by the larvae of these insects when they burrow into the seeds. In some cases, as with the pea weevil, the damage is done entirely in the field, when the seeds are developing in the pods; in other cases, as with the cowpea weevil, the damage occurs almost entirely during the storage of the seeds. The losses are greatest among the poorest farmers who store their seeds in baskets or granaries where the bruchids freely multiply during the months of storage.