Phloem phytochemistry and aphid responses to elevated CO2, nitrogen fertilization and endophyte infection

Abstract

Abstract Rising atmospheric CO2 has been shown to alter plant nitrogen metabolism, growth and secondary chemistry. We hypothesized that altered aphid performance under elevated CO2 is linked to phloem nitrogen chemistry. Rhopalosiphum padi performance on endophyte‐infected or uninfected tall fescue was examined under three levels of CO2 (ambient, 800 and 1000 p.p.m.) and high and low nitrogen fertilization. Ethylenediaminetetracetic acid‐facilitated exudation was used to sample phloem sap, followed by quantification of relative amino acid concentrations using reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography. Aphid abundance was reduced at 800 p.p.m. relative to ambient CO2 but returned to baseline at 1000 p.p.m. The density of aphids was reduced in both the elevated CO2 treatments. Aphids were unsuccessful at colonizing endophyte‐infected plants, possibly as a result of the presence of loline alkaloids. Multivariate analysis showed that certain groups of phloem amino acids were altered by nitrogen fertilization and CO2. We found that four amino acids (valine, arginine, glutamine and aspartate) were correlated with aphid performance. These findings partially explained the effect of plant nitrogen fertilization and elevated CO2 on aphids. The present study represents a first step toward providing a mechanistic explanation of the aphid performance changes that may result from rising atmospheric CO2.