Above- and belowground herbivores alter chemical defense in Solanum tuberosum

Monday, November 14, 2022

10:30 AM – 10:42 AM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 211

Presenting Author(s)

KH

Kayleigh C. Hauri

Graduate Student
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Co-Author(s)

ZS

Zsofia Szendrei

Associate Professor
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Plants are regularly challenged by both aboveground and belowground herbivores, but the outcomes of these interactions vary significantly based on species identity and host plant traits. We used laboratory experiments with two genetically modified potatoes, one that contains the glycoalkaloid leptine and one that does not. We exposed each line to no herbivory, aboveground herbivory by Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Colorado potato beetle), belowground herbivory by Meloidogyne hapla (Northern root knot nematode), or both. We assessed herbivore performance as well as plant internal chemistry and headspace volatiles. Understanding how plant chemistry mediates aboveground-belowground interactions between herbivores will inform effective multiple-pest management strategies.