Physiological responses of wheat and barley to Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko) and bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Abstract

Although aphids are among the most injurious of all agronomic insect pests, much remains unknown about how their feeding alters plant physiology. Two experiments were conducted to examine the physiological responses of wheat, Triticum aestivum L. and barley, Hordeum vulgare L. to injury by Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko) and Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Gas-exchange parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence, and chlorophyll content were examined at 3, 6, and 9 days post-infestation on control and aphid (D. noxia and R. padi) infested treatments. In general, chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (non-variable minimal fluorescence, maximal fluorescence, and variable fluorescence) were not significantly affected by either aphid species. Photochemical and non-photochemical quenching coefficients were significantly impacted by both aphid species, suggesting that aphid feeding may influence the photoprotective xanthophyll cycle altering the thylakoid membrane pH gradient. Feeding by both aphid species resulted in an increase in electron transport rate, but at different time periods. Wheat plants infested with D. noxia had accelerated declines in photosynthetic capacity when compared to R. padi-infested and control plants. These plants exhibited decreased values for A max , which was accompanied by decreased values for V cmax and J max Neither aphid species negatively affected the photosynthetic capacity of the barley plants until day 9. At this time, aphid-infested plants had decreased values for A max which was accompanied by decreased values in J max . Although R. padi feeding does not typically result in visual damage symptoms as previously demonstrated, clearly this aphid does have an impact on the gas-exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence of its host plants.

Response of Solanum tuberosum to Myzus persicae infestation at different stages of foliage maturity

“…Perhaps the partial resistance present in cv. Kardal young leaves, similar to what Pierson et al (2010) and Franzen et al (2008) have found in other plant-aphid combinations, relies on the ability of the leaves to maintain the photosynthesis rate. Cottrell et al (2009) found that black pecan aphid-induced leaf chlorosis plays an important role in the interaction of the aphid with its host.…”

“…() and Franzen et al . () have found in other plant–aphid combinations, relies on the ability of the leaves to maintain the photosynthesis rate. Cottrell et al .…”

“…In some plant-aphid interactions, induced senescence is related to plant acceptance by the aphid (Al Mousawi et al, 1983;Morgham et al, 1994;Machado Assefh et al, 2013). Furthermore, the altered carbohydrate mobilization from aphid-injured leaves might be the trig-ger for physiological events with secondary effects such as reduction in photosynthesis and chloroplast degradation (Franzen et al, 2008). Studies on wheat (Franzen et al, 2007) and barley (Gutsche et al, 2009) infested with the Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia Mordvilko) and soybean infested with soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) (Pierson et al, 2010) have shown that resistant genotypes endure aphid feeding by maintaining their photosynthesis rate.…”

Salicylic acid-induced changes in physiological parameters and genes of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in Artemisia vulgaris and Dendranthema nankingense during aphid feeding

“…ROS mediate different signaling pathways that are associated with plant defense mechanisms, and play roles as secondary messengers in hormone signaling pathways (Alvarez, 2000;Franzen et al, 2008). In addition, SA increases hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) generation (Tewari and Paek, 2011).…”

Detection of brown planthopper infestation based on SPAD and spectral data from rice under different rates of nitrogen fertilizer

“…The SPAD meter has been successfully used to estimate nitrogen concentration in rice leaves and to guide nitrogen management in rice paddies (Hussain et al 2000;Huang et al 2008;Gholizadeh et al 2009). Franzen et al (2008) found that SPAD readings in wheat (at the fourth leaf stage) were reduced when infested with fifteen aphids for 6 and 9 days. Degree of damage of sorghum by greenbugs could be detected indirectly by the chlorophyll content of leaves, and the linear relationship between SPAD values and actual chlorophyll losses was significant (Deol et al 1997).…”