Abstract
Wheat is an economically, socially, and nutritionally important crop, however, aphid infestation can often reduce wheat yield through feeding and virus transmission. Through field phenotyping, we investigated aphid resistance in ancestral wheat Triticum monococcum (L.). Aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), Sitobion avenae (F.) and Metopolophium dirhodum (Wlk.)) populations and natural enemy presence (parasitised mummified aphids, ladybird adults and larvae and lacewing eggs and larvae) on two naturally susceptible wheat varieties, Triticum aestivum (L.) var. Solstice and T. monococcum MDR037, and three potentially resistant genotypes T. monococcum MDR657, MDR045 and MDR049 were monitored across three years of field trials. Triticum monococcum MDR045 and MDR049 had smaller aphid populations, whereas MDR657 showed no resistance. Overall, natural enemy presence was positively correlated with aphid populations; however, MDR049 had similar natural enemy presence to MDR037 which is susceptible to aphid infestation. It is hypothesised that alongside reducing aphid population growth, MDR049 also confers indirect resistance by attracting natural enemies. The observed resistance to aphids in MDR045 and MDR049 has strong potential for introgression into commercial wheat varieties, which could have an important role in Integrated Pest Management strategies to reduce aphid populations and virus transmission.
Highlights
IntroductionNutritionally important crop, aphid infestation can often reduce wheat yield through feeding and virus transmission
Wheat is an economically, socially, and nutritionally important crop, aphid infestation can often reduce wheat yield through feeding and virus transmission
Rhopalosiphum padi populations were dependant on the wheat genotype (F4, 599 = 8.7, P < 0.001), with the lowest populations observed on MDR045 and MDR049 (Fig. 1)
Summary
Nutritionally important crop, aphid infestation can often reduce wheat yield through feeding and virus transmission. Wheat is vulnerable to biotic stressors including insect pests[4] which can reduce yield and affect global wheat prices With such fluctuations, it is evident that preventing and protecting the effects of pest infestations is of great economic, social, and nutritional importance. Aphid populations are predicted to increase due to climate change; this will have a knock on adverse effect on the agricultural economy through negative effects on yield and q uality[17,18] The combination of these factors affecting wheat food security, has increased the focus on alternative methods of aphid control including the use of wheat with natural resistance as part of integrated pest management (IPM)
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