Refereed journal article or data article (A1)

Wild strawberry shows genetic variation in tolerance but not resistance to a generalist herbivore




List of AuthorsWang MG, Muola A, Anderson P, Stenberg JA

PublisherWILEY

Publication year2020

JournalEcology and Evolution

Journal name in sourceECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION

Journal acronymECOL EVOL

Volume number10

Issue number23

Start page13022

End page13029

Number of pages8

ISSN2045-7758

eISSN2045-7758

DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6888

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/50713724


Abstract
Plants' defenses against herbivores usually include both resistance and tolerance mechanisms. Their deployment has predominantly been studied in either single-plant genotypes or multiple genotypes exposed to single herbivores. In natural situations, however, most plants are attacked by multiple herbivores. Therefore, aims of this study were to assess and compare the effects of single and multiple herbivores on plant resistance and tolerance traits, and the consequences for overall plant performance. For this, we exposed multiple genotypes of wild woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) to jasmonic acid (JA), to mimic chewing herbivory and induce the plants' defense responses, and then introduced the generalist herbivoreSpodoptera littoralisto feed on them. We found that woodland strawberry consistently showed resistance toS. littoralisherbivory, with no significant genetic variation between the genotypes. By contrast, the studied genotypes showed high variation in tolerance, suggesting evolutionary potential in this trait. Prior JA application did not alter these patterns, although it induced an even higher level of resistance in all tested genotypes. The study provides novel information that may be useful for breeders seeking to exploit tolerance and resistance mechanisms to improve strawberry crops' viability and yields, particularly when multiple herbivores pose significant threats.

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Last updated on 2022-07-04 at 18:12