Journal of Chemical Ecology (2013) 39, 1297-1300

Lesley E. Smart, Janet L. Martin, Marlène Limpalaër, Toby J.A. Bruce and John A. Pickett (2013)
Responses of herbivore and predatory mites to tomato plants exposed to jasmonic acid seed treatment
Journal of Chemical Ecology 39 (10), 1297-1300
Abstract: Jasmonic acid (JA) signalling can influence plant defense and the production of plant volatiles that mediate interactions with insects. Here, we tested whether a JA seed treatment could alter direct and indirect defenses. First, oviposition levels of herbivorous mites, Tetranychus urticae, on JA seed-treated and control tomato plants were compared. They were not significantly different on tomato cv. 'Moneymaker', however, there was a significant reduction in oviposition on treated plants in additional experiments with cv. 'Carousel'. Second, responses of predatory mites, Phytoseiulus persimilis, were assessed in a Y-tube olfactometer. Volatiles from JA seed-treated tomato cv. 'Moneymaker' plants were significantly more attractive than volatiles from control plants. Volatiles collected from plants were analysed by GC/MS, and samples from JA seed-treated plants contained more methyl salicylate and (E,E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene (TMTT) than samples from control plants. Our results indicate that JA seed treatment can make tomato plants more attractive to predatory mites, but that direct effects on herbivorous mites are variable and cultivar dependent.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Toby J.A. Bruce, John A. Pickett

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
general biology - morphology - evolution
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Tetranychus urticae	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Phytoseiulus persimilis (predator)	Tetranychus urticae	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)