Molecular Diagnosis of Japanese Beetle, Popillia japonica Larvae Infesting Soybean Crop in Iraq

Abstract

This study was conducted during the period 2022-2023 at the Department of Agricultural Research, Abu Ghraib Research Station near Baghdad, within the national program for the propagation and multiplication of high-quality soybean seeds, which is grown for the first time in Iraq, at the Dibbana Agricultural Company research station in the southern Baghdad area. Weekly and monthly plant and soil samples were collected to identify pests and their population density that affect the crop in Iraq. Field studies showed the occurrence of the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica on soybeans in Iraq. Diagnosis was based on insect morphology with the help of international keys and molecular tests, and identification was confirmed by the Iraqi Natural History Museum. Molecular diagnosis was registered at the NCBI GenBank under the number PP558784.1. This is the first molecular diagnosis of this pest in Iraq.

Keywords:

Japanese beetle, soybean, first report, molecular diagnosis.