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Title: PLANT-GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER INTERACTIONS: BIOCHEMICAL MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN HOST PLANT SELECTION BETWEEN YOUNG AND OLD ORANGE TREES

Author
item TOSCANO, NICK - U CA, RIVERSIDE
item BI, J - U CA, RIVERSIDE
item BYRNE, FRANK - U CA, RIVERSIDE
item Castle, Steven

Submitted to: CDFA Pierce's Disease Control Program Research Symposium
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2003
Publication Date: 12/11/2003
Citation: Toscano, N.C., Bi, J.J., Byrne, F.J., Castle, S.J. 2003. Plant-glassy-winged sharpshooter interactions: biochemical mechanisms involved in host plant selection between young and old orange trees. CDFA Pierce's Disease Control Program Research Symposium.

Interpretive Summary: The nutritional quality of host plants of the glassy-winged sharpshooter likely play an important role in the distribution of GWSS populations. Host plant age may also play an important role, especially in the case of long-lived perennial hosts such as citrus trees. To test for possible differences between young and old citrus trees, amino acid profiles were obtained for both and related to densities of GWSS occurring on the same trees tested for amino acids. Amino acids are critically important in the nutrition of all animals including insects. A strong, positive correlation between young citrus trees and higher amino acid concentrations was observed. Not surprisingly, significantly higher densities of GWSS occurred on the young citrus trees.

Technical Abstract: Glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS) population dynamics on young (5 years old) and old (20 years old) orange trees and related biochemical mechanisms were investigated in a field experiment. The numbers of GWSS were much higher on the young trees compared to those on the old trees. Levels of xylem asparagines, glutamine, threonine, valine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine and histidine were also higher in the young trees in comparison with those in the old trees. These results suggest that particular amino acids play critical roles in GWSS host selection.