University of Otago scientists to reduce the impact of pea aphid are a part of an international group. They feel that reducing its impact would be an achievement, as the pest was damaging.

They are a part of a genome published recently, in the United States journal PLoS Biology. All the hereditary information of an organism, including its genes and non-coding sequences of the DNA are contained in a genome.

Research for six-years was culminated that involved more than 200 researchers from 15 countries.

Otago University's contribution was led by Genetics Otago director Associate Prof Peter Dearden and according to him New Zealand was focus of such research and the reason was most of the researchers were based in Europe or the US.

"It's great that we can make a contribution that's recognised as being worthwhile and useful," he said.

Blue-green lucerne aphid was more destructive agricultural pests than pea aphid in New Zealand and the genomic data would help combat several such species.

Tailor-made insecticides would be made by such researches that would prove beneficial.

Grants of the genomic work from Otago University and the National Research Centre for Growth and Development was supported by Drs Elizabeth Duncan, Megan Wilson and James Smith are members of Prof Dearden's research group.