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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Chemistry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #330875
Research Project: Insect, Nematode, and Plant Semiochemical Communication Systems

Location: Chemistry Research

Title: Parameters affecting plant defense pathway mediated recruitment of entomopathogenic nematodes

Author
item FILGUEIRAS, CAMILA - Universidade Federal De Lavras
item Willett, Denis
item VASCONCELOS PERIRA, RAMOM - Universidade Federal De Lavras
item DE SIQUEIRA SABINO, PAULO HENRIQUE - Universidade Federal De Lavras
item JUNIOR, ALCIDES - Universidade Federal De Lavras
item PAREJA, MARTIN - Instituto De Biologia
item DICKSON, DONALD - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/29/2017
Publication Date: 7/11/2017
Citation: Filgueiras, C.C., Willett, D.S., Vasconcelos Perira, R., De Siqueira Sabino, P., Junior, A.M., Pareja, M., Dickson, D.W. 2017. Parameters affecting plant defense pathway mediated recruitment of entomopathogenic nematodes. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. doi: 10.1080/09583157.2017.1349874.

Interpretive Summary: Entomopathogenic nematodes, roundworms that infect insects, are natural enemies and effective biological control agents of subterranean insect herbivores. These nematodes respond to volatiles released belowground by plants. Release of these volatiles is mediated by plant defense pathways, which could be used to enhance biological control in the field. Here we investigate parameters such as elicitor, elicitor dose, and distance affecting recruitment of entomopathogenic nematodes to corn plants. Our findings indicate that entomopathogenic nematodes seem to be highly tuned to plant defense status and can recruit from relatively large distances to plant roots. Fine tuning these parameters and understanding their effects on entomopathogenic nematode recruitment will enhance our understanding of using plant defense pathways to augment biological control in the field.

Technical Abstract: Entomopathogenic nematodes are natural enemies and effective biological control agents of subterranean insect herbivores. Interactions between her bivores, plants, and entomopathogenic nematodes are mediated by plant defense pathways that can induce release of volatiles that recruit entomopathogenic nematodes. Stimulation of these plant defense pathways for induced defense against belowground herbivory may enhance biological control in the field. Knowledge of the factors affecting entomopathogenic nematode behavior be lowground is needed to effectively implement such strategies. To that end, we explored the effect of elicitor, elicitor dose, mechanical damage, and entomopathogenic nematode release distance on recruitment of entomopathogenic nematode infective juveniles to corn seedlings. Increasing doses of methyl jasmonate and methyl salicylate elicitors recruited more entomopathogenic nematodes as did mechanical damage. Recruitment of entomopathogenic nematodes was higher at greater release distances. These results suggest entomopathogenic nematodes are highly tuned to plant status and present a strategy for enhancing biological control using elicitor-stimulated recruitment of entomopathogenic nematodes.