Evidence for a Second Type of Resistance against Cydia pomonella Granulovirus in Field Populations of Codling Moths

Cydia pomonella granulovirus (CpGV) is an important biocontrol agent for the codling moth (CM) in organic and integrated apple production worldwide. Previously, Z chromosome-linked dominant resistance in at least 38 CM field populations in Europe was reported, threatening organic apple production. Growers responded by switching to a different resistance-breaking isolate of CpGV that could control these populations. Here, we report a nonuniform response of different CM field populations to CpGV isolates from CpGV genome groups A to E. Even more strikingly, one field population, NRW-WE, was resistant to all known CpGV genome groups except group B. Single-pair crossing experiments with a susceptible strain, followed by resistance testing of the F₁ offspring, clearly indicated cross-resistance to CpGV isolates that had been considered to be resistance breaking. This finding provides clear evidence of a second, broader type of CpGV resistance with a novel mode of inheritance that cannot be fully explained by Z-linkage of resistance.

Importance: CpGV is registered and used in virtually all commercial apple growing areas worldwide and is therefore the most widely used baculovirus biocontrol agent. Recently, resistance to CpGV products was reported in different countries in Europe, threatening organic growers who rely almost exclusively on CpGV products. This resistance appeared to be targeted against a 24-bp repeat in the pe38 gene in isolate CpGV-M of genome group A, which had been used commercially for many years. On the other hand, resistance could be broken by CpGV isolates from CpGV genome groups B to E. Here, we report clear evidence of a second type of field resistance that is also directed against resistance-breaking isolates of CpGV genome groups C, D, and E and which appears not to be targeted against CpGV pe38 Therefore, we propose to differentiate between type I resistance, which is targeted against pe38 of CpGV genome group A, and a novel type II resistance with an unknown molecular target. This finding stresses the need for further adoption of resistance management strategies for CpGV, since growers cannot rely solely on the use of resistance-breaking CpGV isolates.