Effect of barley chromosome addition on the susceptibility of wheat to feeding by a gall-inducing leafhopper

Abstract

The maize orange leafhopper Cicadulina bipunctata is distributed widely in tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World and feeds on various Poaceae. The leafhopper is recognized as an important pest of maize in several countries. Adults as well as nymphs of C. bipunctata induce growth stunting and galls characterized by the severe swelling of leaf veins on many cereal crops including wheat, rice, and maize, but do not on barley. To clarify the mechanism of growth stunting and gall induction by C. bipunctata, we used six barley chromosome disomic addition lines of wheat (2H-7H) and investigated the effect of barley (cv. Betzes) chromosome addition on the susceptibility of wheat (cv. Chinese Spring) to feeding by the leafhopper. Feeding by C. bipunctata significantly stunted the growth in 2H, 3H, 4H, and 5H, but did not in 6H and 7H. The degree of gall induction was significantly weaker and severer in 3H and 5H than in Chinese Spring, respectively. These results suggest that barley genes resistant to growth stunting and gall induction exist in 6H and 7H, and 3H, respectively. 5H is considered to be useful for future assays investigating the mechanism of gall induction by this leafhopper because of the high susceptibility to the feeding by C. bipunctata. Significant correlation between the degrees of growth stunting and gall induction was not detected in the six chromosome addition lines and Chinese spring. This implies that these two symptoms are independent phenomena although both are initiated by the feeding of C. bipunctata.

Ecology of the Maize Orange Leafhopper, Cicadulina bipunctata (Melichar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

“…Compensation by healthy tillers, which are not attacked by C. bipunctata, may mitigate the decline in yield caused by this symptom. No upheaval of leaf veins was observed on barley, sorghum, orchard grass, rhodes grass, sudan grass and guinea grass, although growth stunting was observed to some extent after C. bipunctata feeding 5,13,19 .…”

“…stunted growth and upheaval of leaf veins) seem attributable to different physiological mechanisms. Kumashiro et al 5 examined the relationship between the degrees of growth stunting and upheaval of leaf veins, using six barley chromosome disomic addition lines of wheat. The two symptoms differed significantly among lines, but no significant correlation between the degrees of growth stunting and upheaval was detected.…”

Control strategy for maize wallaby ear symptom based on a quantitative forecasting model for the maize orange leafhopper, Cicadulina bipunctata

“…Improvement of the tolerant variety is another effective way to reduce MWES occurrence. A comparative study using barley chromosome disomic addition lines of wheat suggested that the tolerance to MWES is a quantitative trait controlled by multiple genes (Kumashiro et al, 2011). Such a quantitative difference in the tolerance would exist in maize although any differences in the degree of tolerance to MWES among present tolerant varieties has not been reported.…”

Occurrence of Cicadulina bipunctata (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in southwestern Shikoku, Japan and comparisons of gall-inducing ability between Kyushu and Shikoku populations

“…In Japan, this species is known to occur in the Bonin Islands (Matsumura 1914), the Ryukyu Islands (Hayashi 2002), and Kyushu (Matsumura et al 2006;Matsukura et al 2009a;Kumashiro et al 2012). The leafhopper feeds on various Poaceae including important crops, such as maize, rice and wheat (Maramorosch et al 1961;Catindig et al 1996;Kumashiro et al 2011). Cicadulina bipunctata is a serious pest of maize because feeding by the leafhopper induces gall symptoms characterized by stunted growth and swollen leaf veins, which is referred to as the maize wallaby ear symptom (Grylls 1975;Ohata 1993).…”