A recently discovered soybean pest, the soybean gall midge (SGM), is now the subject of a genome sequencing project. The SGM is a major threat to soybean production around the world, causing billions of dollars in crop losses each year. Researchers at the Iowa State University are leading the sequencing project and hope it will help them better understand the genetic makeup of the SGM, which should lead to improved pest management strategies in the future. By studying the genome, researchers can gain insight into the SGM’s biology and behavior, including the genes responsible for its resistance to certain pesticides. This knowledge can then be used to develop new, more effective pest management strategies that can help protect crops from the SGM’s damage.

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source: Phys.org