1
|
de Souza LA, Peñaflor MFGV. Small but strong: herbivory by sap-feeding insect reduces plant progeny growth but enhances direct and indirect anti-herbivore defenses. Oecologia 2024; 205:191-201. [PMID: 38782789 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05567-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The transmission of resistance traits to herbivores across subsequent generations is an important strategy employed by plants to enhance their fitness in environments with high herbivore pressure. However, our understanding of the impact of maternal herbivory on direct and indirect induced chemical defenses of progeny, as well as the associated costs, is currently limited to herbivory by leaf-chewing insects. In this study, we investigated the transgenerational effects of a sap-feeding insect, the green peach aphid Myzus persicae, on direct and indirect chemical defenses of bell pepper plants (Capsicum annuum), and whether the effects entail costs to plant growth. Aphid herbivory on parental plants led to a reduced number of seeds per fruit, which exhibited lower germination rates and produced smaller seedlings compared to those from non-infested parental plants. In contrast, the progeny of aphid-infested plants were less preferred as hosts by aphids and less suitable than the progeny of non-infested plants. This enhanced resistance in the progeny of aphid-infested plants coincided with elevated levels of both constitutive and herbivore-induced total phenolic compounds, compared to the progeny of non-infested plants. Furthermore, the progeny of aphid-infested plants emitted herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that were more attractive to the aphid parasitoid Aphidius platensis than those emitted by the progeny of non-infested plants. Our results indicate that herbivory by sap-feeding insect induces transgenerational resistance on progeny bell pepper plants, albeit at the expense of vegetative growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Livia Aparecida de Souza
- Department of Entomology, Laboratory of Chemical Ecology of Plant-Insect Interactions, Lavras Federal University (UFLA), Trevo Rotatório Professor Edmir Sá Santos, 3037, Lavras, Minas Gerais, 37200-900, Brazil
| | - Maria Fernanda G V Peñaflor
- Department of Entomology, Laboratory of Chemical Ecology of Plant-Insect Interactions, Lavras Federal University (UFLA), Trevo Rotatório Professor Edmir Sá Santos, 3037, Lavras, Minas Gerais, 37200-900, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen YD, Liu C, Moles A, Jassey VEJ, Bu ZJ. A hidden herbivory effect on Sphagnum reproduction. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2024; 26:214-222. [PMID: 38192088 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Defence theories provide predictions about trade-offs in the allocation of resources to defence and growth. However, very little is known about how pressure from herbivores influences the allocation of resources during reproduction. Two common peatland bryophyte species, Sphagnum angustifolium and S. capillifolium, were chosen as study species. Vegetative and reproductive shoots of both Sphagnum species were subjected to treatments with and without herbivores in a lab experiment. After 4 weeks of exposure to herbivores in a growth chamber, we measured biomass production, net photosynthesis rate, defence traits (phenolics in leachate and phenolics in extract), nonstructural carbohydrates (soluble sugar and starch), and reproductive traits (capsule number, weight and diameter, and spore germination) of both Sphagnum species. Reproductive shoots had higher constitutive defence than vegetative shoots in S. angustifolium, and a similar pattern was observed in S. capillifolium. With herbivory, reproductive shoots showed stronger induced defence (released more phenolics) than vegetative shoots in S. capillifolium, but not in S. angustifolium. Herbivory had no effect on capsule number, weight, or diameter, but reduced spore germination percentage by more than half in both species. Our study highlights the hidden effects of herbivory on reproduction of Sphagnum and indicates the presence of maternal effects in bryophytes. Ecologists will benefit from examining both quality- and quantity-based traits when attempting to estimate the herbivory effect on plant fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y-D Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Institute for Peat and Mire Research, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecological Processes and Environmental Change in the Changbai Mountains, Changchun, China
| | - C Liu
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Peatland Ecology Research Group and Centre for Northern Studies, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - A Moles
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - V E J Jassey
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (LEFE), Université Paul Sabatier, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Z-J Bu
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Institute for Peat and Mire Research, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecological Processes and Environmental Change in the Changbai Mountains, Changchun, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kovalchuk I. Heritable responses to stress in plants. QUANTITATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 4:e15. [PMID: 38156078 PMCID: PMC10753343 DOI: 10.1017/qpb.2023.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Most plants are adapted to their environments through generations of exposure to all elements. The adaptation process involves the best possible response to fluctuations in the environment based on the genetic and epigenetic make-up of the organism. Many plant species have the capacity to acclimate or adapt to certain stresses, allowing them to respond more efficiently, with fewer resources diverted from growth and development. However, plants can also acquire protection against stress across generations. Such a response is known as an intergenerational response to stress; typically, plants lose most of the tolerance in the subsequent generation when propagated without stress. Occasionally, the protection lasts for more than one generation after stress exposure and such a response is called transgenerational. In this review, we will summarize what is known about inter- and transgenerational responses to stress, focus on phenotypic and epigenetic events, their mechanisms and ecological and evolutionary meaning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Igor Kovalchuk
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wise MJ, Mudrak EL. Nutrient stress can have opposite effects on the ability of plants to tolerate foliar herbivory and floral herbivory. Oecologia 2023; 202:783-794. [PMID: 37596431 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05436-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Discovering how organisms respond to the combinations of stressors they face in their environment is an enduring challenge for ecologists. A particular focus has been how natural enemies and abiotic stressors faced by plants may interact in their effect on the ecology and evolution of plant defense strategies. Here, we report on the results of an experiment measuring how reproduction in the clonal herbaceous plant horsenettle (Solanum carolinense) is affected by damage by leaf-feeding and by flower-feeding herbivores-as well as how horsenettle's tolerance of these different types of herbivory may be altered by nutrient stress. Leaf herbivory by lace bugs reduced horsenettle's seed production and root growth, and the relative impacts were greater in fertilized than in nutrient-stressed plants. In contrast, simulated-floral herbivory reduced seed production to a similar degree in fertilized and nutrient-stressed plants. However, compensation for floral herbivory through increased root growth occurred to a much greater extent in the fertilized than in the nutrient-stressed plants. These results can be explained in terms of the limiting resource model of plant tolerance, with leaf damage interpreted as exacerbating carbon limitation in the fertilized plants and floral damage ameliorating carbon limitation in the fertilized plants. These results can be extended to predicting patterns in the field: Although plants in a nutrient-poor environment may have overall low fitness, they are likely to be more tolerant of leaf herbivores-though this benefit may be countered by lower tolerance of any floral herbivores that share the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Wise
- Blandy Experimental Farm, University of Virginia, Boyce, VA, USA.
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Longwood University, Farmville, VA, USA.
| | - Erika L Mudrak
- Blandy Experimental Farm, University of Virginia, Boyce, VA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
- Cornell Statistical Consulting Unit, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Fu QY, Yu CL, Dong R, Shi J, Luo FL, Gao JQ, Li HL, Dong BC, Yu FH. Transgenerational Herbivory Effects on Performance of Clonal Offspring of the Invasive Plant Alternanthera philoxeroides. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1180. [PMID: 36904040 PMCID: PMC10005396 DOI: 10.3390/plants12051180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between alien plants and local enemies in introduced ranges may determine plant invasion success. However, little is known about whether herbivory-induced responses are transmitted across vegetative generations of plants and whether epigenetic changes are involved during this process. In a greenhouse experiment, we examined the effects of herbivory by the generalist herbivore Spodoptera litura on the growth, physiology, biomass allocation and DNA methylation level of the invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides in the first- (G1), second- (G2) and third-generation (G3). We also tested the effects of root fragments with different branching orders (i.e., the primary- or secondary-root fragments of taproots) of G1 on offspring performance. Our results showed that G1 herbivory promoted the growth of the plants in G2 that sprouted from the secondary-root fragments of G1 but had a neutral or negative effect on the growth of the plants in G2 from the primary-root fragments. The growth of plants in G3 was significantly reduced by G3 herbivory but not affected by G1 herbivory. Plants in G1 exhibited a higher level of DNA methylation when they were damaged by herbivores than when they were not, while neither plants in G2 nor G3 showed herbivory-induced changes in DNA methylation. Overall, the herbivory-induced growth response within one vegetative generation may represent the rapid acclimatization of A. philoxeroides to the unpredictable generalist herbivores in the introduced ranges. Herbivory-induced trans-generational effects may be transient for clonal offspring of A. philoxeroides, which can be influenced by the branching order of taproots, but be less characterized by DNA methylation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Yue Fu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
| | - Cheng-Ling Yu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Ran Dong
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Juan Shi
- School of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Fang-Li Luo
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- The Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection in the Yellow River Basin of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jun-Qin Gao
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- The Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection in the Yellow River Basin of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Hong-Li Li
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- The Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection in the Yellow River Basin of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Bi-Cheng Dong
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
- The Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection in the Yellow River Basin of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cardel YJ, Koptur S. Locations of seed abortion in response to defoliation differ with pollen source in a native perennial legume herb. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:1730-1740. [PMID: 36088615 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE In many flowering plants, flowers contain more ovules than fruits have seeds. What determines which ovules become seeds? When photosynthates are limited, as may happen when plants lose leaf area to herbivory, fewer fertilized ovules become seeds. METHODS Greenhouse-grown ramets of distinct individuals of a perennial herbaceous legume were manually defoliated to various levels determined in the field, then self- or cross-pollinated. For each seed produced, we recorded its position in the fruit and its mass. From a subset of seeds from different treatments and positions in the fruits, we grew seedlings and measured their dry mass. RESULTS Ovules were aborted more frequently in fruits from flowers that were self-pollinated and from those on plants with higher levels of defoliation. Ovules in the basal portion of the fruits were more likely to be aborted than those at the stigmatic end; this pattern was most pronounced for fruits after self-pollination with high levels of defoliation. Total number of seeds produced and seed mass per pod were greatest in cross-pollinated fruits after no or low levels of defoliation. Mean individual seed mass was greater for fruits with fewer seeds, indicating a trade-off between seed number and seed mass. Seedling dry mass (a measure of vigor) was greatest for seeds in the middle positions of fruit produced by cross-pollination after severe herbivory; no positional differences were seen for seeds from self-pollinated fruits. CONCLUSIONS Observed locations of seed abortion may have been selected not only by defoliation, but in part by propensity for dispersal, while positional differences in seedling vigor may be related to seed size and differential maternal allocation based on pollination treatment and leaf area lost.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuria J Cardel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of the Environment, International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, University Park, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Suzanne Koptur
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of the Environment, International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, University Park, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nihranz CT, Helms AM, Tooker JF, Mescher MC, De Moraes CM, Stephenson AG. Adverse effects of inbreeding on the transgenerational expression of herbivore-induced defense traits in Solanum carolinense. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274920. [PMID: 36282832 PMCID: PMC9595541 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to directly inducing physical and chemical defenses, herbivory experienced by plants in one generation can influence the expression of defensive traits in offspring. Plant defense phenotypes can be compromised by inbreeding, and there is some evidence that such adverse effects can extend to the transgenerational expression of induced resistance. We explored how the inbreeding status of maternal Solanum carolinense plants influenced the transgenerational effects of herbivory on the defensive traits and herbivore resistance of offspring. Manduca sexta caterpillars were used to damage inbred and outbred S. carolinense maternal plants and cross pollinations were performed to produced seeds from herbivore-damaged and undamaged, inbred and outbred maternal plants. Seeds were grown in the greenhouse to assess offspring defense-related traits (i.e., leaf trichomes, internode spines, volatile organic compounds) and resistance to herbivores. We found that feeding by M. sexta caterpillars on maternal plants had a positive influence on trichome and spine production in offspring and that caterpillar development on offspring of herbivore-damaged maternal plants was delayed relative to that on offspring of undamaged plants. Offspring of inbred maternal plants had reduced spine production, compared to those of outbred maternal plants, and caterpillars performed better on the offspring of inbred plants. Both herbivory and inbreeding in the maternal generation altered volatile emissions of offspring. In general, maternal plant inbreeding dampened transgenerational effects of herbivory on offspring defensive traits and herbivore resistance. Taken together, this study demonstrates that inducible defenses in S. carolinense can persist across generations and that inbreeding compromises transgenerational resistance in S. carolinense.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chad T. Nihranz
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Anjel M. Helms
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - John F. Tooker
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Mark C. Mescher
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Consuelo M. De Moraes
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrew G. Stephenson
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bustos‐Segura C, Hernández‐Cumplido J, Traine J, Benrey B. Herbivory and jasmonate treatment affect reproductive traits in wild Lima bean, but without transgenerational effects. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:2096-2104. [PMID: 34693514 PMCID: PMC9297984 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Plant responses to herbivores and their elicitors include changes in traits associated with phenology, defense, and reproduction. Induced responses by chewing herbivores are known to be hormonally mediated by the jasmonate pathway and can cascade and affect late-season seed predators and pollinators. Moreover, herbivore-induced plant responses can be transmitted to the next generation. Whether herbivore-induced transgenerational effects also apply to phenological traits is less well understood. METHODS Here, we explored responses of wild lima bean plants (Phaseolus lunatus) to herbivory and jasmonate treatment and possible transgenerational effects of herbivore-induced early flowering. In a controlled field experiment, we exposed lima bean plants to herbivory by leaf beetles or methyl jasmonate sprays (MJ). We then compared plant development, phenology, reproductive fitness and seed traits among these treatments and undamaged, untreated control plants. RESULTS We found that MJ and leaf herbivory induced similar responses, with treated plants growing less, flowering earlier, and producing fewer seeds than undamaged plants. However, seed size, phenolics and cyanogenic glycosides concentrations did not differ among treatments. Seed germination rates and flowering time of the offspring were similar among maternal treatments. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the results confirm that responses of lima bean to herbivory by leaf beetles are mediated by jasmonate; however, effects on phenological traits are not transmitted to the next generation. We discuss why transgenerational effects of herbivory might be restricted to traits that directly target herbivores.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Bustos‐Segura
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutionary EntomologyUniversity of NeuchâtelRue Emile‐Argand 112000Switzerland
| | | | - Juan Traine
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutionary EntomologyUniversity of NeuchâtelRue Emile‐Argand 112000Switzerland
| | - Betty Benrey
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutionary EntomologyUniversity of NeuchâtelRue Emile‐Argand 112000Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bustos-Segura C, Hernández-Cumplido J, Traine J, Benrey B. Herbivory and jasmonate treatment affect reproductive traits in wild Lima bean, but without transgenerational effects. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:2096-2104. [PMID: 34693514 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4725696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Plant responses to herbivores and their elicitors include changes in traits associated with phenology, defense, and reproduction. Induced responses by chewing herbivores are known to be hormonally mediated by the jasmonate pathway and can cascade and affect late-season seed predators and pollinators. Moreover, herbivore-induced plant responses can be transmitted to the next generation. Whether herbivore-induced transgenerational effects also apply to phenological traits is less well understood. METHODS Here, we explored responses of wild lima bean plants (Phaseolus lunatus) to herbivory and jasmonate treatment and possible transgenerational effects of herbivore-induced early flowering. In a controlled field experiment, we exposed lima bean plants to herbivory by leaf beetles or methyl jasmonate sprays (MJ). We then compared plant development, phenology, reproductive fitness and seed traits among these treatments and undamaged, untreated control plants. RESULTS We found that MJ and leaf herbivory induced similar responses, with treated plants growing less, flowering earlier, and producing fewer seeds than undamaged plants. However, seed size, phenolics and cyanogenic glycosides concentrations did not differ among treatments. Seed germination rates and flowering time of the offspring were similar among maternal treatments. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the results confirm that responses of lima bean to herbivory by leaf beetles are mediated by jasmonate; however, effects on phenological traits are not transmitted to the next generation. We discuss why transgenerational effects of herbivory might be restricted to traits that directly target herbivores.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Bustos-Segura
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Switzerland
| | - Johnattan Hernández-Cumplido
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
| | - Juan Traine
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Switzerland
| | - Betty Benrey
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Chavana J, Singh S, Vazquez A, Christoffersen B, Racelis A, Kariyat RR. Local adaptation to continuous mowing makes the noxious weed Solanum elaeagnifolium a superweed candidate by improving fitness and defense traits. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6634. [PMID: 33758235 PMCID: PMC7988165 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85789-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of disturbance in accelerating weed growth is well understood. While most studies have focused on soil mediated disturbance, mowing can also impact weed traits. Using silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), a noxious and invasive weed, through a series of field, laboratory, and greenhouse experiments, we asked whether continuous mowing influences growth and plant defense traits, expressed via different avenues, and whether they cascade into offspring. We found that mowed plants produced significantly less number of fruits, and less number of total seeds per plant, but had higher seed mass, and germinated more and faster. When three herbivores were allowed to feed, tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) caterpillars, gained more mass on seedlings from unmowed plants, while cow pea aphid (Aphis craccivora), a generalist, established better on mowed seedlings; however, leaf trichome density was higher on unmowed seedlings, suggesting possible negative cross talk in defense traits. Texas potato beetle (Leptinotarsa texana), a co-evolved specialist on S. elaeagnifolium, did not show any differential feeding effects. We also found that specific root length, an indicator of nutrient acquisition, was significantly higher in first generation seedlings from mowed plants. Taken together, we show that mowing is a selective pressure that enhances some fitness and defense traits and can contribute to producing superweeds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Chavana
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA
| | - Sukhman Singh
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA
| | - Alejandro Vazquez
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA
| | - Bradley Christoffersen
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA
| | - Alexis Racelis
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA
- School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA
| | - Rupesh R Kariyat
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA.
- School of Earth, Environmental and Marine Sciences, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Baucom RS, Heath KD, Chambers SM. Plant-environment interactions from the lens of plant stress, reproduction, and mutualisms. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:175-178. [PMID: 32060910 PMCID: PMC7186814 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Regina S. Baucom
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMI48109USA
| | - Katy D. Heath
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIL61801USA
| | | |
Collapse
|