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Blubaugh CK. An omnivore vigour hypothesis? Nutrient availability strengthens herbivore suppression by omnivores across 48 field sites. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:751-759. [PMID: 36695631 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Nutrients regulate herbivore growth from the 'bottom-up' via improved plant vigour and food quality. Nitrogen also affects 'top-down' control of herbivores by moderating attraction of predators and the rates at which they consume herbivorous prey. Tri-trophic consequences of nitrogen availability are more challenging to predict among omnivorous natural enemies who feed on both plants and herbivores, limiting our ability to predict net outcomes of nutrient availability in food webs. In a two-year field survey of insects on zucchini host plants at 48 sites, I predicted that both herbivores and foliar-feeding omnivores would increase with nutrient availability, while predators would not. My results revealed positive relationships between omnivores and foliar nitrogen concentrations, while predators had neutral responses to foliar N. Surprisingly, herbivores declined with increasing foliar N across the field sites. Greenhouse experiments re-enforced these patterns, as herbivore growth inversely correlated with soil N concentrations in communities that included foliar-feeding omnivores. Conversely, herbivore growth was uncorrelated with soil N on plants with predators, nor on predator-free plants. These results suggest that omnivores mount strong and consistent responses to nitrogen in plant tissues in a variety of ecological contexts. In environments where omnivorous arthropods can thrive, their recruitment to nitrogen-rich plants may increase predation and thereby counterbalance and stabilize 'bottom-up' increases in herbivore performance supported by enhanced foliar nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- C K Blubaugh
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Wang J, Yang Y, Li Y, Jin Z, Desneux N, Han P, Wang S, Li S. Direct and indirect effects of banker plants on population establishment of Harmonia axyridis and aphid control on pepper crop. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1083848. [PMID: 36578339 PMCID: PMC9792147 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1083848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Banker plant systems increase biological pest control by supporting populations of natural enemies, i.e., using non-pest arthropod species as alternative prey. However, the presence of alternative prey does not always result in improved control of the target pest species owing to the complexity of biotic interactions. To increase the effectiveness of banker plants in IPM programs, a fine understanding of the indirect interactions between target aphid and alternative prey mediated by biocontrol agents is necessary. In this study, we first established a banker plant system, banker plant (Vicia faba)-alternative prey (Megoura japonica)-predator (Harmonia axyridis), to control the target pest (Myzus persicae) on pepper. We found that M. japonica strongly preferred faba bean as a host plant and posed no risk to Solanaceous crops. Harmonia axyridis adults had no significant predation preference for the alternative prey. In the short term, the interaction direction of the two aphid species depended on the relative initial density and the timescale. Harmonia axyridis showed a stronger negative effect on M. persicae than that on M. japonica. In the long term, the presence of alternative prey, M. japonica, enhanced the control effect of H. axyridis to M. persicae with initial density of 100-500 aphids per plant. The presence of the alternative prey could proliferate the population of H. axyridis, with from 0.2- to 2.1-fold increase of H. axyridis eggs. Overall, we put forward a strategy for setting the initial density of alternative prey of the banker plant system to target the high and low density of aphids, which highlighted the importance of indirect interactions in designing a proper banker plant system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yajie Yang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanxi Li
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhenyu Jin
- Forewarning and Management of Agricultural and Forestry Pest, Hubei Engineering Technology Center and College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | | | - Peng Han
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology /Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Su Wang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shu Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
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Wang L, Cui H, Chang X, Zhu M, Zhao Z. Increased nitrogen fertilization inhibits the biocontrol activity promoted by the intercropping partner plant. INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 28:1179-1190. [PMID: 32567801 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The examination of the compatibility between agricultural practices and biocontrol activities is crucial for establishing an efficient, eco-friendly, and sustainable pest management program. In this study, we examined the population dynamics of two specialist aphids, the English grain aphid (Sitobion avenae) on potted wheat and the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) on potted alfalfa, as well as the biocontrol activity of a generalist predator, the harlequin ladybird beetle (Harmonia axyridis). We investigated their responses to the presence of the intercropping partner plant species (alfalfa and wheat, respectively) through plant volatiles or visual cues at three nitrogen fertilizer levels in a greenhouse. In the absence of the predator, the English grain aphid population growth rate increased significantly with increasing nitrogen levels, whereas the pea aphid population increased significantly more slowly in response to high nitrogen levels. The English grain aphid and pea aphid population dynamics were unaffected by the presence of the intercropping partner. However, the presence of the intercropping partner enhanced the control of both aphid populations by the harlequin ladybird beetle. Increasing nitrogen fertilizer levels decreased the predation rates, which were otherwise increased by the intercropping partner. The beneficial effects of the intercropping partner were eventually non-existent at the highest nitrogen level tested. These results imply that the interaction between the presence of intercropping partner and the nitrogen fertilizer application affects the biocontrol activity of the natural enemies of insect pests. Thus, the compatibility between agricultural intensification and biocontrol strategies in integrated pest management programs need to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyun Wang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongying Cui
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyue Chang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengmeng Zhu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Ningxia Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan, China
| | - Zihua Zhao
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Herbivore-induced plant volatiles mediate behavioral interactions between a leaf-chewing and a phloem-feeding herbivore. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Blubaugh C, Carpenter-Boggs L, Reganold J, Snyder W. Herbivore-herbivore interactions complicate links between soil fertility and pest resistance. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Multiple Attack to Inflorescences of an Annual Plant Does Not Interfere with the Attraction of Parasitoids and Pollinators. J Chem Ecol 2021; 47:175-191. [PMID: 33507456 PMCID: PMC7904547 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01239-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Plants in the flowering stage need to ensure reproduction by protecting themselves from attack and by preserving interactions with mutualist pollinators. When different plant mutualists are using the same type of cues, such as volatile compounds, attraction of parasitoids and pollinators may trade off. To explore this, we compared volatile emission of Brassica nigra plants in response to single or dual attack on their inflorescences. Additionally, we recorded flower visitation by pollinators and the attraction of parasitoids in the greenhouse and/or field. Brassica nigra were exposed in the flowering stage to one or two of the following three attackers: Brevicoryne brassicae aphids, Pieris brassicae caterpillars, and Xanthomonas campestris pv. raphani bacteria. We found that single attack by caterpillars, and dual attack by caterpillars plus aphids, induced the strongest changes in plant volatile emission. The caterpillars’ parasitoid C. glomerata did not exhibit preference for plants exposed to caterpillars only vs. plants exposed to caterpillars plus aphids or plus bacteria. However, the composition of the pollinator community associated with flowers of B. nigra was affected by plant exposure to the attackers, but the total number of pollinators visiting the plants did not change upon attack. We conclude that, when B. nigra were exposed to single or dual attack on their inflorescences, the plants maintained interactions with natural enemies of the insect attackers and with pollinators. We discuss how chemical diversity may contribute to plant resilience upon attack.
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Mathis KA, Bronstein JL. Our Current Understanding of Commensalism. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-011720-040844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Commensalisms, interactions between two species in which one species benefits and the other experiences no net effect, are frequently mentioned in the ecological literature but are surprisingly little studied. Here we review and synthesize our limited understanding of commensalism. We then argue that commensalism is not a single type of interaction; rather, it is a suite of phenomena associated with distinct ecological processes and evolutionary consequences. For each form of commensalism we define, we present evidence for how, where, and why it occurs, including when it is evolutionarily persistent and when it is an occasional outcome of interactions that are usually mutualistic or antagonistic. We argue that commensalism should be of great interest in the study of species interactions due to its location at the center of the continuum between positive and negative outcomes. Finally, we offer a roadmap for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn A. Mathis
- Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts 01610, USA
| | - Judith L. Bronstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
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Hu X, Su S, Liu Q, Jiao Y, Peng Y, Li Y, Turlings TC. Caterpillar-induced rice volatiles provide enemy-free space for the offspring of the brown planthopper. eLife 2020; 9:55421. [PMID: 32778222 PMCID: PMC7419140 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants typically release large quantities of volatiles in response to herbivory by insects. This benefits the plants by, for instance, attracting the natural enemies of the herbivores. We show that the brown planthopper (BPH) has cleverly turned this around by exploiting herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that provide safe havens for its offspring. BPH females preferentially oviposit on rice plants already infested by the rice striped stem borer (SSB), which are avoided by the egg parasitoid Anagrus nilaparvatae, the most important natural enemy of BPH. Using synthetic versions of volatiles identified from plants infested by BPH and/or SSB, we demonstrate the role of HIPVs in these interactions. Moreover, greenhouse and field cage experiments confirm the adaptiveness of the BPH oviposition strategy, resulting in 80% lower parasitism rates of its eggs. Besides revealing a novel exploitation of HIPVs, these findings may lead to novel control strategies against an exceedingly important rice pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shuangli Su
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingsong Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, China
| | - Yaoyu Jiao
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yufa Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yunhe Li
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ted Cj Turlings
- Laboratory of Fundamental and Applied Research in Chemical Ecology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Krey KL, Blubaugh CK, Van Leuven JT, Snyder WE. Organic Soils Control Beetle Survival While Competitors Limit Aphid Population Growth. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 48:1323-1330. [PMID: 31553792 PMCID: PMC6885743 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvz100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Soil chemistry and microbial diversity can impact the vigor and nutritive qualities of plants, as well as plants' ability to deploy anti-herbivore defenses. Soil qualities often vary dramatically on organic versus conventional farms, reflecting the many differences in soil management practices between these farming systems. We examined soil-mediated effects on herbivore performance by growing potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) in soils collected from organic or conventional commercial farm fields, and then exposing these plants to herbivory by green peach aphids (Myzus persicae Sulzer, Hemiptera: Aphididae) and/or Colorado potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Responses of the two potato pests varied dramatically. Survivorship of Colorado potato beetles was almost 3× higher on plants grown in organic than in conventional soils, but was unaffected by the presence of aphids. In contrast, aphid colony growth was twice as rapid when aphids were reared alone rather than with Colorado potato beetles, but was unaffected by soil type. We saw no obvious differences in soil nutrients when comparing organic and conventional soils. However, we saw a higher diversity of bacteria in organic soils, and potato plants grown in this soil had a lower carbon concentration in foliar tissue. In summary, the herbivore species differed in their susceptibility to soil- versus competitor-mediated effects, and these differences may be driven by microbe-mediated changes in host plant quality. Our results suggest that soil-mediated effects on pest growth can depend on herbivore species and community composition, and that soil management strategies that promote plant health may also increase host quality for pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karol L Krey
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
| | - Carmen K Blubaugh
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
| | - James T Van Leuven
- Center for Modeling Complex Interactions, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
| | - William E Snyder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
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Abdala‐Roberts L, Puentes A, Finke DL, Marquis RJ, Montserrat M, Poelman EH, Rasmann S, Sentis A, van Dam NM, Wimp G, Mooney K, Björkman C. Tri-trophic interactions: bridging species, communities and ecosystems. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:2151-2167. [PMID: 31631502 PMCID: PMC6899832 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A vast body of research demonstrates that many ecological and evolutionary processes can only be understood from a tri-trophic viewpoint, that is, one that moves beyond the pairwise interactions of neighbouring trophic levels to consider the emergent features of interactions among multiple trophic levels. Despite its unifying potential, tri-trophic research has been fragmented, following two distinct paths. One has focused on the population biology and evolutionary ecology of simple food chains of interacting species. The other has focused on bottom-up and top-down controls over the distribution of biomass across trophic levels and other ecosystem-level variables. Here, we propose pathways to bridge these two long-standing perspectives. We argue that an expanded theory of tri-trophic interactions (TTIs) can unify our understanding of biological processes across scales and levels of organisation, ranging from species evolution and pairwise interactions to community structure and ecosystem function. To do so requires addressing how community structure and ecosystem function arise as emergent properties of component TTIs, and, in turn, how species traits and TTIs are shaped by the ecosystem processes and the abiotic environment in which they are embedded. We conclude that novel insights will come from applying tri-trophic theory systematically across all levels of biological organisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Abdala‐Roberts
- Departamento de Ecología TropicalCampus de Ciencias Biológicas y AgropecuariasUniversidad Autónoma de YucatánKm. 15.5 Carretera Mérida‐XmatkuilMX‐97000MéridaYucatánMéxico
| | - Adriana Puentes
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesBox 7044SE‐750 07UppsalaSweden
| | - Deborah L. Finke
- Division of Plant SciencesUniversity of Missouri1‐33 Agriculture BuildingUS‐65211ColumbiaMOUSA
| | - Robert J. Marquis
- Department of Biology and the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology CenterUniversity of Missouri–St. Louis1 University BoulevardUS‐63121St. LouisMOUSA
| | - Marta Montserrat
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea “La Mayora” (IHSM‐UMA‐CSIC)Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasE‐29750Algarrobo‐Costa (Málaga)Spain
| | - Erik H. Poelman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityP.O. Box 166700 AAWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Sergio Rasmann
- Institute of BiologyUniversity of NeuchâtelRue Emile‐Argand 11CH‐2000NeuchâtelSwitzerland
| | - Arnaud Sentis
- UMR RECOVERIRSTEAAix Marseille University3275 route Cézanne13182Aix‐en‐ProvenceFrance
| | - Nicole M. van Dam
- Molecular Interaction EcologyFriedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena & German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigDeutscher Platz 5eDE‐04103LeipzigGermany
| | - Gina Wimp
- Department of BiologyGeorgetown University406 Reiss Science BuildingUS‐20057WashingtonDCUSA
| | - Kailen Mooney
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California Irvine321 Steinhaus HallUS‐92697IrvineCAUSA
| | - Christer Björkman
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesBox 7044SE‐750 07UppsalaSweden
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Blubaugh CK, Carpenter-Boggs L, Reganold JP, Schaeffer RN, Snyder WE. Bacteria and Competing Herbivores Weaken Top-Down and Bottom-Up Aphid Suppression. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1239. [PMID: 30233608 PMCID: PMC6129616 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Herbivore suppression is mediated by both plant defenses and predators. In turn, plant defenses are impacted by soil fertility and interactions with soil bacteria. Measuring the relative importance of nutritional and microbial drivers of herbivore resistance has proven problematic, in part because it is difficult to manipulate soil-bacterial community composition. Here, we exploit variation in soil fertility and microbial biodiversity across 20 farms to untangle suppression of aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae) through bottom-up and top-down channels. We planted Brassica oleracea plants in soil from each farm, manipulated single and dual infestations of aphids alone or with caterpillars (Pieris rapae), and exposed aphids to parasitoid wasps (Diaeretiella rapae) in the open field. We then used multi-model inference to identify the strongest soil-based predictors of herbivore growth and parasitism. We found that densities of Bacillus spp., a genus known to include plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria, negatively correlated with aphid suppression by specialist parasitoids. Aphid parasitism also was disrupted on plants that had caterpillar damage, compared to plants attacked only by aphids. Relative abundance of Pseudomonas spp. bacteria correlated with higher aphid growth, although this appeared to be a direct effect, as aphid parasitism was not associated with this group of bacteria. Non-pathogenic soil bacteria are often shown to deliver benefits to plants, improving plant nutrition and the deployment of anti-herbivore defenses. However, our results suggest that these plant growth-promoting bacteria may also indirectly weaken top-down aphid suppression by parasitoids and directly improve aphid performance. Against a background of varying soil fertility, microbial biodiversity, competing herbivores, and natural enemies, we found that effects of non-pathogenic soil microbes on aphid growth outweighed those of nutritional factors. Therefore, predictions about the strength of plant defenses along resource gradients must be expanded to include microbial associates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen K. Blubaugh
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Lynne Carpenter-Boggs
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - John P. Reganold
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Robert N. Schaeffer
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - William E. Snyder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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