Abstract
Land plants have diverse defenses against herbivores. In some cases, plant response to insect herbivory may be chronological and even transgenerational. Feeding by various stink bugs, such as the bean bug Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae), induce physiological changes in soybean, called as green stem syndrome, which are characterized by delayed senescence in stems, leaves, and pods. To investigate the plant response to the bean bug feeding in the infested generation and its offspring, we studied the effects of R. pedestris infestation on Glycine soja, the ancestral wild species of soybean. Field surveys revealed that the occurrence of the autumn R. pedestris generation coincided with G. soja pod maturation in both lowland and mountainous sites. Following infestation by R. pedestris, pod maturation was significantly delayed in G. soja. When G. soja seeds obtained from infested and non-infested plants were cultivated, the progeny of infested plants exhibited much earlier pod maturation and larger-sized seed production than that of control plants, indicating that R. pedestris feeding induced transgenerational changes. Because earlier seed maturity results in asynchrony with occurrence of R. pedestris, the transgenerational changes in plant phenology are considered to be an adaptive transgenerational and chronological defense for the plant against feeding by the stink bug.
Highlights
IntroductionLand plants have extensive defense systems against herbivorous insects [1–3], including direct defenses such as physical and chemical traits, and indirect biotic defensive traits [4]
The strain was continuously reared in the laboratory according to a previous study [38], in which dry soybean seeds and water was supplied as food and wool yarn as oviposition substrate in plastic cages and the Transgenerational changes in G. soja by R. pedestris infestation cages were maintained at 25 ̊C and under a 16-hour light: 8-hour dark photoperiodic condition
The beginning of pod maturation periods of G. soja coincided with the autumn peaks of R. pedestris captures
Summary
Land plants have extensive defense systems against herbivorous insects [1–3], including direct defenses such as physical and chemical traits, and indirect biotic defensive traits [4]. These defenses are either constitutive or induced in response to insect attack [5,6]. Transgenerational changes include reinforcement of physical and chemical defense traits in offspring in response to insect infestation of parental generations [12–14].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
