Abstract
The impacts of climate change on worldwide crop production become increasingly severe. Thus, sustainable enhancements of agricultural production are needed. The present study investigated the effects of drought and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on wheat plants (Triticum aestivum) and their interaction with aphids. Considering predicted climate change scenarios, wheat plants were exposed to well‐watered conditions, continuous drought (CD), or pulsed (PD) drought and plants were grown without (NM) or with mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Ear biomass and harvest index were evaluated when grains were produced. Moreover, drought‐ and mycorrhiza‐induced changes in the amino acid composition of leaf phloem exudates were studied and the population growth and survival of Sitobion avenae aphids on those plants measured. Wheat plants responded differently toward the irrigation treatments. Under drought stress, ear biomass was reduced, while AM resulted in an enhanced harvest index. In phloem exudates especially, relative concentrations of the osmoprotectant proline were modulated by drought. Aphid population size was influenced by the interaction of drought and mycorrhiza treatment. This study emphasizes the pronounced influence of irrigation frequency on plant performance and indicates positive contributions of AM that may be relevant for agriculture.
Highlights
Worldwide, crop cultivation is increasingly challenged as a result of climate change (Lobell & Gourdji, 2012)
The present study investigated the effects of drought and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on wheat plants (Triticum aestivum) and their interaction with aphids
We investigated the influences of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and irrigation treatment, that is, well-watered (CTR), continuous drought (CD), or PD, on various traits of wheat plants, including ear biomass, harvest index (HI = dry ear biomass/dry total aboveground biomass), and the amino acid composition of leaf phloem exudates
Summary
Crop cultivation is increasingly challenged as a result of climate change (Lobell & Gourdji, 2012). We investigated the influences of AMF and irrigation treatment, that is, well-watered (CTR), CD, or PD, on various traits of wheat plants, including ear biomass, harvest index (HI = dry ear biomass/dry total aboveground biomass), and the amino acid composition of leaf phloem exudates. We predicted a higher ear biomass and a higher HI in AM compared to NM plants under drought stress conditions Because both drought and AM are known to influence plant chemistry (Chaves et al, 2003; Farooq et al, 2009; Schweiger & Müller, 2015), we expected that the relative amino acid composition of leaf phloem exudates differs between plants of distinct treatments. We expected aphids to reproduce less and die faster on drought-stressed NM plants as a consequence of the low water status compared to AM plants
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