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Insect-Plant Interaction
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Insect-Plant Interaction

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 7258

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yunhe Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
Interests: risk assessment of GM plants; plant-insect interaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants and insects make up approximately half of all known species of multicellular organisms. They have been evolving together for over one hundred million years, with varying levels of interaction leading to the selection of characters that are studied today in every branch of biology, from biochemistry and genetics to behavior and ecology.

  In recent years, insect–plant interactions have received increasing attention from biologists as well as agronomists. It is now recognized that, from the perspective of fundamental knowledge of the Earth’s biosphere, the relationships between insects and plants are also of crucial importance from an applied point of view, namely insect pest control of crops. Better understanding the factors governing the relationships between insects and plants can be incredibly helpful in unraveling the causes of insect pest development and further create biologically safe control strategies intended to prevent insect pest outbreaks.

  In this Special Issue, we would like to invite experts to publish research or review articles or minor commentary papers on the topic of “Insect–Plant Interaction”, focusing on agricultural insects and crops.

Dr. Yunhe Li
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2741 KiB  
Article
Expression of Cry1Ab/2Aj Protein in Genetically Engineered Maize Plants and Its Transfer in the Arthropod Food Web
by Yi Chen, Michael Meissle, Jiabao Xue, Nan Zhang, Shulin Ma, Anping Guo, Biao Liu, Yufa Peng, Xinyuan Song, Yan Yang and Yunhe Li
Plants 2023, 12(23), 4057; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12234057 - 2 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1531
Abstract
While transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize provides pest resistance and a reduced application of chemical pesticides, a comprehensive environmental risk assessment is mandatory before its field release. This research determined the concentrations of Bt protein in plant tissue and in arthropods [...] Read more.
While transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize provides pest resistance and a reduced application of chemical pesticides, a comprehensive environmental risk assessment is mandatory before its field release. This research determined the concentrations of Bt protein in plant tissue and in arthropods under field conditions in Gongzhuling City, northeastern China, to provide guidance for the selection of indicator species for non-target risk assessment studies. Bt maize expressing Cry1Ab/2Aj and non-transformed near-isoline were grown under identical environmental and agricultural conditions. Cry1Ab/2Aj was detected in plant tissues and arthropods collected from Bt maize plots during pre-flowering, flowering, and post-flowering. The expression of Cry1Ab/2Aj varied across growth stages and maize tissues, as well as in the collected arthropods at the three growth stages. Therefore, representative species should be chosen to cover the whole growing season and to represent different habitats and ecological functions. Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), Rhopalosiphum padi (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Heteronychus arator (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), and Somaticus angulatus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) are suitable non-target herbivores. Propylea japonica (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Paederus fuscipes (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), Chrysoperla nipponensis (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), and spiders are suggested predators. Apis cerana and Apis mellifera ligustica (both Hymenoptera: Apidae) represent pollinators and Folsomia candida (Collembola: Isotomidae) decomposers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect-Plant Interaction)
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21 pages, 3744 KiB  
Article
Some Physiological Effects of Nanofertilizers on Wheat-Aphid Interactions
by Masoud Chamani, Bahram Naseri, Hooshang Rafiee-Dastjerdi, Javid Emaratpardaz, Asgar Ebadollahi and Franco Palla
Plants 2023, 12(14), 2602; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142602 - 10 Jul 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1930
Abstract
The increasing use of nanofertilizers in modern agriculture and their impact on crop yield and pest management require further research. In this study, the effects of nano-Fe, -Zn, and -Cu (which are synthesized based on nanochelating technology), and urea (N) fertilizers on the [...] Read more.
The increasing use of nanofertilizers in modern agriculture and their impact on crop yield and pest management require further research. In this study, the effects of nano-Fe, -Zn, and -Cu (which are synthesized based on nanochelating technology), and urea (N) fertilizers on the antioxidant activities of wheat plants (cv. Chamran), and the wheat green aphid Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) are investigated. The authors observed the highest levels of phenolics in non-infested nano-Zn-treated plants (26% higher compared with control). The highest H2O2 levels are in the infested and non-infested nano-Zn-treated and infested nano-Fe-treated plants (in infested nano-Zn and nano-Fe treated plants, 18% and non-infested nano-Zn-treated plants, 28% higher compared with control). The highest peroxidase (POX) activity is observed in the infested and non-infested N-treated and non-infested water-treated plants (almost 14%, 37%, and 46% higher than control, respectively). The lowest activity is in the infested plants’ nano-Zn and -Fe treatments (almost 7 and 5 folds lower compared to the control, respectively). The highest and lowest catalase (CAT) activity are in the infested N-treated plants (almost 42% higher than control) and water-treated plants, respectively. The infested nano-Zn, -Fe, -Cu and Hoagland-treated plants showed the highest superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Regarding the antioxidant enzyme activities of S. graminum, the highest POX activity is in the nano-Cu treatment (more than two folds higher compared with control); the highest CAT and SOD activities are in the nano-Cu and -Zn treatments. It can be concluded that the application of nanofertilizers caused increasing effects on the wheat plant’s antioxidant system and its resistance to S. graminum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect-Plant Interaction)
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13 pages, 5217 KiB  
Article
Neutral Dietary Effects of Two MicroRNAs, Csu-Novel-260 and Csu-Mir-14, on the Non-Target Arthropod Folsomia candida
by Qinli Zhou, Lanzhi Han, Yunhe Li, Jing Li and Xiaowei Yang
Plants 2023, 12(9), 1885; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12091885 - 5 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1581
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) that is triggered by small or short RNAs has shown enormous potential in the development of pest control strategies. Two microRNAs (miRNAs), Csu-novel-260 and Csu-miR-14, were used in insect-resistant genetically engineered (IRGE) rice lines to confer resistance to Chilo suppressalis [...] Read more.
RNA interference (RNAi) that is triggered by small or short RNAs has shown enormous potential in the development of pest control strategies. Two microRNAs (miRNAs), Csu-novel-260 and Csu-miR-14, were used in insect-resistant genetically engineered (IRGE) rice lines to confer resistance to Chilo suppressalis. However, a risk assessment of RNAi-based products is essential to determine the safety of a biopesticide or IRGE crop for commercialization. The non-target organism Folsomia candida, which plays an important ecological role as a soil decomposer in agricultural ecosystems, was used to assess the risk of miRNAs Csu-novel-260 and Csu-miR-14. In this study, a dietary miRNA toxicity assay system was established in F. candida. The expression levels of target genes, survival rate, fecundity and body size were investigated to evaluate the effects of the miRNAs on F. candida under the worst-case scenario. The results showed that the dietary miRNA toxicity assay system could be used for risk assessment of miRNA in F. candida. The target genes of miRNAs were influenced by miRNA at some time points. However, no significant differences were observed in the life-table parameters in F. candida fed with a diet containing miRNAs. The dietary effects of two miRNAs on F. candida are neutral. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect-Plant Interaction)
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14 pages, 3460 KiB  
Article
Insect Herbivory on Main Stem Enhances Induced Defense of Primary Tillers in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
by Lu Tong, Wanghui Wu, Yibin Lin, Daoqian Chen, Rensen Zeng, Long Lu and Yuanyuan Song
Plants 2023, 12(5), 1199; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051199 - 6 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1673
Abstract
Clonal plants are interconnected to form clonal plant networks with physiological integration, enabling the reassignment as well as sharing of resources among the members. The systemic induction of antiherbivore resistance via clonal integration may frequently operate in the networks. Here, we used an [...] Read more.
Clonal plants are interconnected to form clonal plant networks with physiological integration, enabling the reassignment as well as sharing of resources among the members. The systemic induction of antiherbivore resistance via clonal integration may frequently operate in the networks. Here, we used an important food crop rice (Oryza sativa), and its destructive pest rice leaffolder (LF; Cnaphalocrocis medinalis) as a model to examine defense communication between the main stem and clonal tillers. LF infestation and MeJA pretreatment on the main stem for two days reduced the weight gain of LF larvae fed on the corresponding primary tillers by 44.5% and 29.0%, respectively. LF infestation and MeJA pretreatment on the main stem also enhanced antiherbivore defense responses in primary tillers: increased levels of a trypsin protease inhibitor, putative defensive enzymes, and jasmonic acid (JA), a key signaling compound involved in antiherbivore induced defenses; strong induction of genes encoding JA biosynthesis and perception; and rapid activation of JA pathway. However, in a JA perception OsCOI RNAi line, LF infestation on main stem showed no or minor effects on antiherbivore defense responses in primary tillers. Our work demonstrates that systemic antiherbivore defense operate in the clonal network of rice plants and JA signaling plays a crucial role in mediating defense communication between main stem and tillers in rice plants. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for the ecological control of pests by using the systemic resistance of cloned plants themselves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect-Plant Interaction)
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