DIMBOA levels in hexaploid Brazilian wheat are not associated with antibiosis against the cereal aphids Rhopalosiphum padi and Sitobion avenae.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the natural levels of the plant defence compound DIMBOA in young leaves of eight hexaploid Brazilian wheat genotypes and the impact of the genotypes upon development of cereal aphids, Rhopalosiphum padi and Sitobion avenae. HPLC Analysis revealed that the DIMBOA levels varied from 5.376 (in BRS Guabiju) to 30.651 mmol/kgFW (in BRS Timbaúva) with two genotypes outperforming Solstice, a UK variety used as reference. Bioassays were conducted to evaluate the development and fecundity of both aphids when grown on the wheat genotypes. Although BRS Guabiju and BRS Timbaúva were among the genotypes showing the highest and lowest susceptibility respectively, against both aphids, no correlation could be found between DIMBOA levels and antibiosis effects. The cultivar BRS 327 that was among the genotypes showing lower intrinsic rate of population increase for the two aphid species. Elucidating the role of secondary metabolites in plant resistance to aphids and the characterisation of the genotypes that allowed reduced aphid development are important steps to achieve a better natural resistance in hexaploid Brazilian wheat

Antibiosis in wheat interacts with crowding stress to affect Metopolophiumdirhodum development and susceptibility to malathion

We used a laboratory study to compare the performance of rose‐grain aphid, Metopolophium dirhodum (Walker) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), on the wheat cultivars ‘Huntsman’ (susceptible) and ‘Rapier’ (partially resistant) in both low density (uncrowded) and high density (crowded) colonies and examined the consequences for aphid susceptibility to malathion. Adult apterae that developed on Rapier wheat had their mean relative growth rate (MRGR) reduced by 6 and 9% under uncrowded and crowded conditions, respectively, whereas the crowding treatment reduced MRGR by 3%, but only in Rapier aphids. Rapier resistance also reduced adult dry weight by 13 and 14% under crowded and uncrowded conditions, respectively, whereas crowding reduced it by 34 and 35% in Rapier and Huntsman aphids, respectively. Development on Rapier substantially reduced the topical LC50 of malathion by 37.8 and 34.8% under crowded and uncrowded conditions, suggesting that plant antibiosis increased malathion susceptibility. By comparison, crowding only reduced the LC50 by 29.5 and 26.0% on Huntsman and Rapier. The LD50 data showed that reductions on aphid body size on Rapier and through crowding did not fully explain the differences in LC50. This was particularly in the values for crowded aphids that were actually 80% higher than for uncrowded ones. This apparent tolerance of crowded aphids, however, may partly be due to loss of insecticide from small aphids at dosing. Evidence of synergy between plant resistance and insecticide susceptibility raises the possibility of using reduced concentrations of pesticides to control aphids on resistant crop cultivars, with diminished impacts on non‐target and beneficial species important in integrated pest management (IPM) programs

Interactions of Bacillus Mojavensis and Fusarium Verticillioides With a Benzoxazolinone (Boa) and Its Transformation Product, Apo

En:Journal of Chemical Ecology (2007, vol. 33, n. 10, p. 1885-1897)The benzoxazolinones, specifically benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (BOA), are important transformation products of the benzoxazinones that can serve as allelochemicals providing resistance to maize from pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and insects. However, maize pathogens such as Fusarium verticillioides are capable of detoxifying the benzoxazolinones to 2-aminophenol (AP), which is converted to the less toxic N-(2-hydroxyphenyl) malonamic acid (HPMA) and 2-acetamidophenol (HPAA). As biocontrol strategies that utilize a species of endophytic bacterium, Bacillus mojavensis, are considered efficacious as a control of this Fusarium species, the in vitro transformation and effects of BOA on growth of this bacterium was examined relative to its interaction with strains of F. verticillioides. The results showed that a red pigment was produced and accumulated only on BOA-amended media when wild type and the progeny of genetic crosses of F. verticillioides are cultured in the presence of the bacterium. The pigment was identified as 2-amino-3H-phenoxazin-3-one (APO), which is a stable product. The results indicate that the bacterium interacts with the fungus preventing the usual transformation of AP to the nontoxic HPMA, resulting in the accumulation of higher amounts of APO than when the fungus is cultured alone. APO is highly toxic to F. verticillioides and other organisms. Thus, an enhanced biocontrol is suggested by this in vitro study. =580 $aEn:Journal of Chemical Ecolog

Phloem sap intricacy and interplay with aphid feeding

Aphididae feed upon the plant sieve elements (SE), where they ingest sugars, nitrogen compounds and other nutrients. For ingestion, aphid stylets penetrate SE, and because of the high hydrostatic pressure in SE, phloem sap exudes out into the stylets. Severing stylets to sample phloem exudates (i.e. stylectomy) has been used extensively for the study of phloem contents. Alternative sampling techniques are spontaneous exudation upon wounding that only works in a few plant species, and the popular EDTA-facilitated exudation technique. These approaches have allowed fundamental advances on the understanding of phloem sap composition and sieve tube physiology, which are surveyed in this review. A more complete picture of metabolites, ions, proteins and RNAs present in phloem sap is now available, which has provided large evidence for the phloem role as a signalling network in addition to its primary role in partitioning of photo-assimilates. Thus, phloem sap sampling methods can have remarkable applications to analyse plant nutrition, physiology and defence responses. Since aphid behaviour is suspected to be affected by phloem sap quality, attempts to manipulate phloem sap content were recently undertaken based on deregulation in mutant plants of genes controlling amino acid or sugar content of phloem sap. This opens up new strategies to control aphid settlement on a plant host

Role of hydroxamic acids in the resistance of wheat to the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko) (Hom., Aphididae)

Wheats and triticales resistant to Russian wheat aphid (RWA). Diuraphis noxia, contained medium to very high concentrations of hydroxamic acids. Feeding behaviour and performance of RWA in wheat seedlings differing in hydroxamic acid (Hx) levels, were determined by electrical penetration graphs, and mean relative growth rates, respectively. Higher Hx levels in the seedlings produced a delay in attaining a sustained phloem ingestion, and tended to produce lower incan relative growth rates. These facts support Hx as resistance factors in wheat towards RWA

Hydroxamic acids affecting barley yellow dwarf virus transmission by the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi

2,4‐Dihydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one (DIMBOA), a hydroxamic acid (Hx) occurring in wheat, was shown to deter feeding by the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), and to reduce BYDV transmission to the plant. Dual choice tests with wheat leaves showed the preferential settlement of aphids on leaves with lower levels of DIMBOA. Electric monitoring of aphid feeding behaviour showed that in seedlings with higher DIMBOA levels fewer aphids reached the phloem and they needed longer times to contact a phloem vessel than in those with lower levels. When aphids carrying BYDV were allowed to feed on wheat cultivars with different DIMBOA levels, fewer plants were infected with BYDV in the higher DIMBOA cultivars than in the lower ones. Preliminary field experiments showed a tendency for wheat cultivars with higher Hx levels to be more tolerant to infection by BYDV than lower Hx level ones. 1991 The Netherlands Entomological Societ