TY - JOUR
T1 - Phloem-specific resistance in Brassica oleracea against the whitefly Aleyrodes proletella
AU - Broekgaarden, Colette
AU - Riviere, Pierre
AU - Steenhuis, Greet
AU - del Sol Cuenca, Maria
AU - Kos, Martine
AU - Vosman, Ben
PY - 2012/2/1
Y1 - 2012/2/1
N2 - The cabbage whitefly [Aleyrodes proletella L. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)] is becoming a serious pest in Brassica oleracea L. (Brassicaceae) crops. However, almost nothing is known about the interaction of this insect with its host plants. Previous studies have shown differences in the natural occurrence of adults, eggs, and nymphs on the closely related B. oleracea cultivars Christmas Drumhead and Riviera grown in the field. In this study, we aimed to identify the nature of these differences and to gain insight into the resistance mechanisms against A. proletella. We used no-choice experiments on field- and greenhouse-grown plants to show that the differences between the two cultivars are mainly based on antibiosis (traits that reduce herbivore performance) and not on antixenosis (traits that deter herbivory). This was further supported by laboratory choice experiments that indicated little or no discrimination between the two cultivars based on plant volatiles. We showed that resistance is dependent on plant age, that is, resistance increased during plant development, and is mainly independent of environmental factors. Analysis of probing behaviour revealed that the resistance trait affects A. proletella at the phloem level and that morphological differences between the two cultivars are most likely not involved. We suggest that compounds present in the phloem reduce sap ingestion by the whitefly and that this explains the observed resistance.
AB - The cabbage whitefly [Aleyrodes proletella L. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)] is becoming a serious pest in Brassica oleracea L. (Brassicaceae) crops. However, almost nothing is known about the interaction of this insect with its host plants. Previous studies have shown differences in the natural occurrence of adults, eggs, and nymphs on the closely related B. oleracea cultivars Christmas Drumhead and Riviera grown in the field. In this study, we aimed to identify the nature of these differences and to gain insight into the resistance mechanisms against A. proletella. We used no-choice experiments on field- and greenhouse-grown plants to show that the differences between the two cultivars are mainly based on antibiosis (traits that reduce herbivore performance) and not on antixenosis (traits that deter herbivory). This was further supported by laboratory choice experiments that indicated little or no discrimination between the two cultivars based on plant volatiles. We showed that resistance is dependent on plant age, that is, resistance increased during plant development, and is mainly independent of environmental factors. Analysis of probing behaviour revealed that the resistance trait affects A. proletella at the phloem level and that morphological differences between the two cultivars are most likely not involved. We suggest that compounds present in the phloem reduce sap ingestion by the whitefly and that this explains the observed resistance.
KW - Age-dependent resistance
KW - Aleyrodidae
KW - Cabbage
KW - EPG recording
KW - Hemiptera
KW - Insect abundance
KW - Insect performance
KW - Insect preference
KW - Phloem-based antibiosis
KW - Y-tube olfactometer
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84855552764&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1570-7458.2011.01210.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1570-7458.2011.01210.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84855552764
SN - 0013-8703
VL - 142
SP - 153
EP - 164
JO - Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata
JF - Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata
IS - 2
ER -