Effect of day length and light intensity on 2-tridecanone levels and resistance inLycopersicon hirsutum f.glabratum toManduca sexta

Abstract

First instarManduca sexta (L.) larvae confined on foliage fromLycopersicon hirsutum f.glabratum (accession PI 134417) plants grown under a long-day regime exhibited greater mortality than larvae on foliage from plants grown under a short-day regime. 2-Tridecanone, a toxin important in the insect resistance of PI 134417, was significantly more abundant in the foliage of plants grown under the long-than the short-day regimes. Light intensity influenced neither 2-tridecanone levels nor the expression of resistance. The density of glandular trichomes, which secrete 2-tridecanone, was influenced by an interaction between day length and light intensity.