Synthetic plant volatile lures attract natural enemies, but may have non-target effects due to the multifunctional nature of volatile signals. For example, methyl salicylate (MeSA) is used to attract predators, yet also serves as a signaling hormone involved in plant pathogen defense. We investigated the consequences of deploying MeSA lures to attract predators for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) defense against herbivores. To understand the spatial distribution of the lure's effect, we exposed tomatoes in the field to MeSA along a linear distance gradient and induced defenses by simulating feeding by hornworm caterpillars in a fully crossed factorial design (+/- MeSA, +/- herbivory). Subsequently, we analyzed activity of several defensive proteins (protease inhibitors, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase), development of hornworm larvae (Manduca sexta), growth of fungal pathogens (Cladosporium and Alternaria), and attractiveness to herbivores and predators. Overall, MeSA-exposed plants were more resistant to both insects and pathogens. Secondary pathogen infection was reduced by 25% in MeSA exposed plants, possibly due to elevated polyphenol oxidase activity. Interestingly, we found that lures affected plant pathogen defenses equivalently across all distances (up to 4 m away) indicating that horizontal diffusion of a synthetic volatile may be greater than previously assumed. While thrips avoided colonizing hornworm- damaged tomato plants, this induced resistance was not observed upon pre-exposure to MeSA, suggesting that MeSA suppresses the repellant effect induced by herbivory. Thus, using MeSA lures in biological control may inadvertently protect crops from pathogens, but has mixed effects on plant resistance to insect herbivores.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10886-017-0856-6 | DOI Listing |
Front Physiol
January 2025
Plant Protection Institute, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northern Region of North China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, IPM Innovation Center of Hebei Province, International Science and Technology Joint Research Center on IPM of Hebei Province, Baoding, China.
Background: (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Alydidae) is a major soybean pest throughout East Asia that relies on its advanced olfactory system for the perception of plant-derived volatile compounds and aggregation pheromones for conspecific and host plant localization. Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) facilitate the transport of odorant compounds across the sensillum lymph within the insect olfactory system, enabling their interaction with odorant receptors (ORs).
Methods: Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses, fluorescence-based competitive binding assays, and molecular docking analyses were applied to assess the expression and ligand-binding properties of OBP38 from .
Food Chem X
October 2024
Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and breeding of Special Economic Animals and Plants, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China.
Geographical regions profoundly influence the flavor characteristics of Congou black tea (CBT). In this study, 35 CBT samples from 7 geographical regions were comprehensively characterized by integrated multiple intelligent sensory technologies and untargeted metabolomics analysis. A satisfactory discrimination was achieved through the fusion of multiple intelligent sensory technologies (RY = 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Agric Food Chem
January 2025
Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Using natural enemies provides a sustainable method to control major agricultural pests. Hoverflies are significant natural enemies of aphids and efficient pollinators. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs), including ()-β-farnesene (EBF) and methyl salicylate (MeSA), are key olfactory cues mediating hoverflies behavior.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
December 2024
Key Laboratory Biological Crop Pathogens & Insects Zhejiang Pro, State Key Laboratory Rice Biology, Institute Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
The flea-weevil Korotyaev (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an Eastern Palaearctic Steppe species, and a serious pest of elm trees ( spp., Ulmaceae) by feeding on the leaves (adults) or mining them heavily (larvae) in Xinjiang, China. In order to search for chemical and ecological pest management practices, the olfactory preferences of for leaves of three elm species were investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInsects
December 2024
Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China.
The greater wax moth (GWM, ) is a prevalent pest of the honeybee and a significant risk to both honeybee populations and honeycomb storage. Research on the toxicity of essential oils (EOs) to GWM larvae has provided promising results, although their ovicidal effects and active ingredients require further study. Identifying effective plant compounds is essential for developing insecticides for GWM control.
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