The Tripartite Interaction Between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Rice, and Insects

Losses caused by pests remain an important limitation to achieving high rice yields in the United States. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) are able to modify plant physiology by increasing plant growth or inducing defense responses against insect herbivores. However, studies of the role of AM fungi in agroecological factors, including natural occurrence, plant resistance, soil dependency, and plant tolerance, with specific regards to pests that feed on rice plants have not been conducted before. A three-year study revealed natural occurring colonization by AM fungi on rice roots sampled in four rice-producing areas in the southern United States. Overall, rice-AM fungi associations were greatest in Arkansas followed by Mississippi, Texas, and then Louisiana. In the plant resistance study, larval performance and pathogen infection of different pests on rice cultivars inoculated with AM fungi in Louisiana were investigated. Results from this study revealed that densities of rice water weevil (RWW) larvae, weight gains of fall armyworm (FAW) larvae, and susceptibility to sheath blight infection were higher on rice plants treated with AM fungi inoculum. In the soil-dependent study, the susceptibility to RWW and FAW was increased in AM fungi-treated rice plants, but this effect was soil dependent. The enhanced effect on plant biomass was also soil dependent, but the inoculation of AM fungi had no effect on N or P concentrations nor on rice yields in both soil types. In the tolerance study, AM fungi seed treatment did not reduce RWW densities, but NipsIt INSIDE seed treatments reduced RWW densities. In addition, plant biomass and yields were higher in AM fungi-treated plants compared to untreated plants. This study provided strong support that the effects of AM fungi seed treatments can be more effective to increase rice biomass and yields. Taken together, findings from this work reveal that rice plants inoculated with AM fungi may provide an effective method for herbivore control (especially for the RWW) for increasing plant biomass and yields, but also highlight the complicated nature of the various factors governing rice-AM fungi-pest interactions. The broader implications of this study are important due to the potential impact that AM fungi may have on IPM and future research. Thus, gaining a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of AM fungi on rice-pest interactions will contribute to the development of more effective and sustainable strategies to control or reduce pest damage in rice

Caracterización molecular de la resistencia al tizón tardío en Solanum paucissectum Ochoa (Solanaceae) mediante el uso de la técnica NBS y marcadores para loci candidatos

El tizón tardío causado por el oomiceto Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, es la enfermedad más seria y devastadora en cultivos de papa alrededor del mundo. Aparte del uso de fungicidas, el uso de variedades resistentes es otro método para la protección de los cultivos contra esta enfermedad. Las especies silvestres de papa han demostrado ser una fuente continua de resistencia al tizón tardío en muchos programas de mejoramiento. Esta resistencia está controlada por genes R los cuales son fácilmente superados por razas nuevas de P. infestans, y/o por un número desconocido de genes que expresan un tipo cuantitativo de resistencia el cual podría ser más durable. Con el objetivo de caracterizar la resistencia a tizón tardío, 57 genotipos de una progenie diploide PCS1, originada del cruce entre Solanum paucissectum Ochoa 762126.227 (R) con S. paucissectum 762124.236 (S) fue analizada por medio de marcadores moleculares.La primera parte de la tesis estuvo enfocada en la evaluación de la técnica del perfil NBS (sitio de unión nucleotídica), estrategia basada en PCR (reacción en cadena de la polimerasa) que eficientemente reconoce regiones cromosómicas que contienen genes R y análogos de genes R (RGAs) y al mismo tiempo produce marcadores polimórficos en estos genes. Los porcentajes de polimorfismo medio detectado al usar RsaI y HaeIII como enzimas de restricción fueron 11% y 8%, respectivamente. El número promedio de polimorfismo por combinación de iniciador-enzima fue igual a 5, con un rango que va desde 3 a 13 bandas polimórficas. Los resultados indican que el perfil NBS proporciona un medio efectivo para identificar polimorfismo en papa.La segunda parte se encontró enfocada en la evaluación de regiones genómicas responsables para resistencia a tizón tardío. La familia PCS1 fue analizada con 15 marcadores de ADN conocidos por estar ligados a QTL (locus de carácter cuantitativo) para resistencia en el genoma de la papa. Los fragmentos de ADN específicos basados en PCR fueron probados por asociación con este carácter cuantitativo analizado. Dos marcadores significativamente ligados a QTL para resistencia a P. infestans fueron encontrados en los cromosomas V y XI en la progenie PCS1.--- Late blight caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, is the most serious and devastating disease of potato production worldwide. Beside fungicides, the use of resistance varieties is another strategy to protect potato production against this disease. Wild potato species have proven to be a source of resistance to late blight used by much breeding programs. This resistance is controlled by R genes which may be easily overcome by new races of P. infestans, and/or by an unknown number of genes resulting in a quantitative type of resistance which may be more durable. With the goal of characterizing resistance to late blight, 57 genotypes of a PCS1 diploid offspring originated from cross among Solanum paucissectum Ochoa 762126.227 (R) with S. paucissectum 762124.236 (S) it was analyzed by means of molecular markers.The first part of the thesis focused on the evaluation of the NBS profiling technique, a strategy based on PCR (polymerase chain reaction) that efficiently it recognizes chromosomal regions containing R genes or R genes analogs (RGAs). At the same time it produces polymorphic markers for this gene. Mean polymorphic rates detected using RsaI and HaeIII as restriction enzymes were 11% and 8%, respectively. Mean number of polymorphisms per enzyme-primer combination was equal to 5, ranging from 3 to 13 polymorphic bands. Our results indicate that NBS profiling provides an effective means to identify polymorphism in potato.The second part of the thesis focused on the evaluation of genomic regions responsible for resistance to late blight. PCS1 family was genotyped with 15 DNA markers known to be linked to QTL (quantitative trait locus) for resistance on potato genome. Specific DNA fragments based on PCR were tested for association with this analyzed quantitative character. Two markers significantly linked to QTL for resistance to P. infestans were found on chromosomes V and XI in the PCS1 progeny.Tesi

Development and utilization of molecular markers to study genetic diversity of smooth cordgrass and cold tolerance sugarcane

Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel) and sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) are both grasses that belong to the family Poaceae and have significant impact on Louisiana environment and economy. Coastal Louisiana accounts to ~80% of the national wetland loss through natural and human interventions; (re)vegetation is considered an important component of coastal restoration efforts. Smooth cordgrass, a warm season marsh grass, is used as an ecosystem engineer to stabilize and restore Louisiana coastal marshes. In this study, genetic diversity was determined among 13 elite smooth cordgrass accessions of Louisiana through 276 polymorphic markers generated by 23 SSR and 32 RAPD primers. AMOVA results showed that sufficient variation existed among smooth cordgrass accessions for further exploitation in breeding program. A few genetic markers unique to specific smooth cordgrass accession(s) were also developed. Sugarcane, the number one row crop in Louisiana, is sensitive to cold; so cold tolerance is desirable to expand its cultivation in more northern environments. Cold tolerance alleles of Saccharum spontaneum can be exploited to develop sugarcane clones tolerant to low temperatures. To this end, forty differentially expressed genes (DEGs; 29 up-regulated and 11 down-regulated) were identified in a cold-tolerant clone Ho02-144 and a cold-sensitive clone L79-1002 under cold stress, using annealing control primer system. Reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) analysis of the cold-responsive DEGs revealed distinctive expression profiles in the tolerant and sensitive clone. Mining of the cold-responsive DEGs yielded 12 sequences with simple sequence repeats (SSRs), which were used to design eSSR primers. Genotyping of 48 Louisiana sugarcane clones and 16 ancestral parents with these eSSRs generated 170 polymorphic markers that could classify cultivated sugarcane clones from their ancestral S. spontaneum clones at 0.23 similarity coefficient. The cold responsive genes will be useful for breeding cold tolerant sugarcane either through genetic engineering or selection through the use of gene-based markers

Technological Advances to Address Current Issues in Entomology: 2020 Student Debates

The 2020 Student Debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) were live-streamed during the Virtual Annual Meeting to debate current, prominent entomological issues of interest to members. The Student Debates Subcommittee of the National ESA Student Affairs Committee coordinated the student efforts throughout the year and hosted the live event. This year, four unbiased introductory speakers provided background for each debate topic while four multi-university teams were each assigned a debate topic under the theme ‘Technological Advances to Address Current Issues in Entomology’. The two debate topics selected were as follows: 1) What is the best taxonomic approach to identify and classify insects? and 2) What is the best current technology to address the locust swarms worldwide? Unbiased introduction speakers and debate teams began preparing approximately six months before the live event. During the live event, teams shared their critical thinking and practiced communication skills by defending their positions on either taxonomical identification and classification of insects or managing the damaging outbreaks of locusts in crops

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on rice-herbivore interactions are soil-dependent

© 2019, The Author(s). The effect of soil type on establishment of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and their effects on plant growth and resistance to rice pests are poorly understood. We investigated the effects of inoculation with AM fungi on rice plants in two different unsterilized field soils under greenhouse and field conditions in two consecutive years in Louisiana, United States. We tested whether inoculation with AM fungi in the two soils changed plant biomass, nutrient concentration, resistance to pests, and yields. Inoculation with a commercial formulation of AM fungi increased root colonization by fungi in all soils, regardless of soil P availability; it also increased densities of root-feeding rice water weevil larvae and growth of leaf-feeding fall armyworm larvae, but these effects were soil-dependent. Inoculation with AM fungi had no effect on N and P concentrations or rice yields. The effect on plant biomass was also soil-dependent. Our study provides evidence for the first time that inoculation with AM fungi can increase colonization of roots of rice plants, but the effects of colonization on resistance to pests and plant biomass appear to be soil dependent. Moreover, the increased susceptibility to pests of rice colonized by AM fungi does not appear to be related to nutrient concentrations

Belowground Inoculation With Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Increases Local and Systemic Susceptibility of Rice Plants to Different Pest Organisms

Plants face numerous challenges from both aboveground and belowground stressors, and defend themselves against harmful insects and microorganisms in many ways. Because plant responses to biotic stresses are not only local but also systemic, belowground interactions can influence aboveground interactions in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are soilborne organisms that form symbiotic associations with many plant roots and are thought to play a central role in plant nutrition, growth, and fitness. In the present study, we focused on the influence of AMF on rice defense against pests. We inoculated rice plants with AMF in several field and greenhouse experiments to test whether the interaction of AMF with rice roots changes the resistance of rice against two chewing insects, the rice water weevil (Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, RWW) and the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda, FAW), and against infection by sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani, ShB). Both in field and greenhouse experiments, the performance of insects and the pathogen on rice was enhanced when plants were inoculated with AMF. In the field, inoculating rice plants with AMF resulted in higher numbers of RWW larvae on rice roots. In the greenhouse, more RWW first instars emerged from AMF-colonized rice plants than from non-colonized control plants. Weight gains of FAW larvae were higher on rice plants treated with AMF inoculum. Lesion lengths and susceptibility to ShB infection were higher in rice plants colonized by AMF. Although AMF inoculation enhanced the growth of rice plants, the nutritional analyses of root and shoot tissues indicated no major increases in the concentrations of nutrients in rice plants colonized by AMF. The large effects on rice susceptibility to pests in the absence of large effects on plant nutrition suggest that AMF colonization influences other mechanisms of susceptibility (e.g., defense signaling processes). This study represents the first study conducted in the U.S. in rice showing AMF-induced plant susceptibility to several antagonists that specialize on different plant tissues. Given the widespread occurrence of AMF, our findings will help to provide a different perspective into the causal basis of rice systemic resistance/susceptibility to insects and pathogens