Resistance of bmr energy sorghum hybrids to sugarcane borer and fall armyworm

Abstract

The lower lignin content in plants species with energy potential results in easier cellulose breakdown, making glucose available for ethanol generation. However, higher lignin levels can increase resistance to insect attack. The objective of this work was to evaluate the susceptibility of a bmr-6 biomass sorghum (a mutant genotype with a lower concentration of lignin) to important pests of energy sorghum, Diatraea saccharalis and Spodoptera frugiperda. Experiments were performed in the laboratory and greenhouse to evaluate the development of these pests on the biomass sorghum bmr hybrids BR007, BR008, and TX635 and their respective conventional near-isogenic genotypes (without the bmr gene). The lignin content was higher in non-bmr hybrids, but the evaluated insect variables varied between treatments, not being consistent in just one hybrid or because it is bmr or not. The lowest survival of S. frugiperda was observed in the BR008 hybrid, both bmr and non-bmr. The S. frugiperda injury scores on plants in the greenhouse were high (>7) in all treatments. For D. saccharalis, there was no difference in larval survival in the laboratory, but in the greenhouse, the BR007 hybrid, both bmr and non-bmr, provided greater survival. Due the need to diversify the energy matrix and the fact that greater susceptibility of the bmr hybrids to either pests was not found in this study, these results hold promise for cultivation of these biomass sorghum hybrids for the production of biofuels.

Chromosome-scale genome assembly of Camellia sinensis combined with multi-omics provides insights into its responses to infestation with green leafhoppers

“…Finally, syringyl lignin was obtained by the catalysis of upregulated peroxidase. Thus, we hypothesized that when the tea plant was infested, peroxidase, coumarin, cinnamaldehyde, p-hydroxyphenyl lignin, guaiacyl lignin, 5-hydroxyguaiacyl lignin, syringyl lignin, and the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway were used to respond to the tea green leafhopper (Figure 8), which was in accordance with the previous studies (Zhou et al, 2019;Natukunda, 2021;Souza et al, 2021;Zhang et al, 2022). These findings suggest that the resistance of tea plants to tea leafhopper could be obtained by inducing the synthesis of lignin, which could have potential applications in preventing insect infestations on tea.…”

Metabolites with benzene ring from sugarcane leaf play important role in plant-Spodoptera frugiperdainteraction

“…Lepidoptera insects are one of the main pests of graminaceous crops. Damage caused by lepidoptera insect infestation during the seedling stage can affect sugarcane photosynthesis, making stalks vulnerable to lodging and, in severe cases, death, leading to reduced yield (Souza et al, 2021). The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is one of the most important agricultural pests worldwide (Montezano et al, 2018), which mainly harms corn, rice, sugarcane and other crops.…”