Plants have evolved a diverse array of defensive mechanisms against biotic and abiotic stresses, which can be either constitutive or inducible. Variation in plant-intrinsic factors such as the genotype and the leaf position coupled with insect herbivory can affect the expression of resistance to insects. We investigated if soybean defense induction triggered by Spodoptera cosmioides herbivory varies in function of the genotype and leaf position. This hypothesis was tested in two bioassays using leaf discs or entire leaflets collected from the upper and lower trifoliates of S. cosmioides-injured and uninjured V3-V4 soybean plants. We used one genotype that was constitutively resistant and one that was constitutively susceptible to S. cosmioides based on previous screening. Third-instar larvae were fed one of the treatments and assayed for leaf consumption, larval growth, and efficiency of conversion of ingested food. Genotype and leaf position significantly interacted with herbivory and affected soybean-induced resistance to S. cosmioides. Negative responses on S. cosmioides larvae consumption and growth rates were only observed when leaf material was originated from the upper soybean trifoliate. The susceptible soybean genotype did not exhibit induced resistance characteristics. Food offered as leaf disc was better at demonstrating induced resistance in previously injured soybean, whereas offering entire leaflet the induced effects were less pronounced. Here we provide new findings on soybean resistance by demonstrating that resistance induction to S. cosmioides herbivory is dependent on the plant genotype and leaf position where injury took place, with negative effects better evinced in bioassays using leaf discs than entire leaflets.

No abstract

Collard greens Brassica oleracea var. acephala is one of the most important horticultural grown in Brazil for human feeding. The caterpillar Ascia monuste orseis (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) stands out among the important pest in Brassicaceae causing severe plant defoliation. The objective of this study was to identify resistant genotypes (antixenosis) in 26 collard greens genotypes to A. monuste orseis. In free-choice test, randomized blocks were used; and in the non-choice test we adopted a completely randomized design. Manteiga de Jundiaí, crespa de Capão Bonito, couve de Arthur Nogueira 1, manteiga I-1811, manteiga de Ribeirão Pires I-1811, orelha-de-elefante and Pires 1 de Campinas presented antixenosis (non-preference for oviposition). Pires 1 de Campinas, manteiga I-1811, manteiga de São José, verde-escura and manteiga de Monte Alegre presented antixenosis (non-preference for feeding). These collard greens genotypes can be directly used by farmers for cultivation or by breeders as donor sources in breeding programs for resistance to A. monuste orseis.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Soybean crop is regulated by abiotic and biotic stresses with great potential in reducing grain yield and quality. The selection of resistant cultivars is a promising approach for mitigating these damages. We evaluated the chemical profile of Glycine max leaves from different cultivars in order to explore their defense mechanisms against Spodoptera cosmioides caterpillars. We optimized solid–liquid extraction techniques using ultrasound bath and static headspace extraction. Additionally, we developed an approach based on liquid and gas chromatography for analyzing the chemical profile of G. max cultivars. The principal component analysis allowed the classification of transgenic cultivars, which are classified as susceptible to S. cosmioides, from those obtained by genetic improvement and resistant to the insect. Differences were observed in the abundance of phenolic glycosides, lipids, aldehydes, and alcohols. More specifically, S. cosmioides resistant cultivars presented molecules related to the jasmonic and salicylic acid pathways. Such data can contribute to a molecular understanding of phenotypic diversity in soybean cultivars, from plant quality to resistance mechanisms and adaptation, to environmental stress and herbivory.

Ecofriendly Bt biopesticides can be used in combinations with insecticides to optimize agricultural operations and increase the host spectrum. However, this procedure can reduce the efficacy of the product and affect the biology of survival larvae. We evaluated the sublethal effects (survival, larval stage duration, weight and pupae formation) of two Bt biopesticides and eight insecticides on Chrysodeixis includens, using combinations of one Bt biopesticide with one or two insecticides, comprising 72 treatments. After the in vitro combinations assays, every susceptibility treatment consisted of 100-second instar C. includens larvae, distributed into 20 repetitions. No survival was recorded in 31 treatments, and those survival larvae from 41 treatments (1,805) were weighed every two days, from nine to 31 days after treatment (DAT). The larvae pupated (687, 38%) in only 26 treatments, and six treatments provided larval survival rates greater than 80% with Thuricide WP®, Larvin WG 800®, and Premio SC®. The weight of the surviving larvae varied both up and down in some treatments compared to the control in the first evaluation. Furthermore, most heavier larvae were pupated before the control, but the heaviest ones, most of them with longer larval stage, died before pupating. Indeed, we reinforce the importance of sublethal effects in the conception of C. includens susceptibility and interactions with ecosystems services.