Abstract
Maize (corn), Zea mays, is a genetically diverse crop, and we have recently shown that certain open pollinated varieties (OPVs) of Latin American origin possess a trait not present in mainstream commercial varieties: they produce volatiles in response to stemborer oviposition that are attractive to stemborer parasitoids. Here, we tested whether a similar tritrophic effect occurs in the African OPVs ‘Nyamula’ and ‘Jowi’. Herbivore induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) were collected from plants exposed to egg deposition by the stemborer Chilo partellus. In a four-arm olfactometer bioassay, the parasitic wasp Cotesia sesamiae preferred samples containing HIPVs from plants with eggs to samples collected from plants without eggs. EAG-active compounds, including (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT), were released in higher amounts from the egg induced headspace samples. Our results suggest that this oviposition trait is not limited to S. American Z. mays germplasm, and that it could be used to increase indirect defense against attack by stemborers.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agelopoulos, N. G., Hooper, A. M., Maniar, S. P., Pickett, J. A., and Wadhams, L. J. 1999. A novel approach for isolation of volatile chemicals released by individual leaves of a plant in situ. J. Chem. Ecol. 25:1411–1425.
Bruce, T. J. A., Midega, C. A. O., Birkett, M. A., Pickett, J. A., and Khan, Z. R. 2010. Is quality more important than quantity? Insect behavioural responses to changes in a volatile blend after stemborer oviposition on an African grass. Biol. Lett. 6:314-317.
Colazza, S., Fucarino, A., Peri, E., Salerno, G., Conti, E., and Bin, F. 2004. Insect oviposition induces volatile emission in herbaceous plants that attracts egg parasitoids. J. Exp. Biol. 207:47–53.
De Moraes, C. M., Lewis, W. J., Pare, P. W., Alborn, H. T., and Tumlinson, J. H. 1998. Herbivore-infested plants selectively attract parasitoids. Nature 393:570–573.
Degen, T., Dillmann, C., Marion-Poll, F., and Turlings, T. C. J. 2004. High genetic variability of herbivore-induced volatile emission within a broad range of maize inbred lines. Plant Physiol. 135: 1928–1938.
Dicke, M., Sabelis, M. W., Takabayashi, J., Bruin , J., and Posthumus , M. A. 1990. Plant strategies of manipulating predator-prey interactions through allelochemicals: prospects for application in pest control. J. Chem. Ecol. 16:3091–3118.
Gouinguene, S., Degen, T., and Turlings, T. C. J. 2001. Variability in herbivore-induced odour emissions among maize cultivars and their wild ancestors (teosinte). Chemoecology 11:9–16.
Heil, M. 2008. Indirect defence via tritrophic interactions. New Phytol. 178:41–61.
Hilker, M. and Meiners, T. 2006. Early herbivore alert: insect eggs induce plant defense. J. Chem. Ecol. 32:1379–1397.
Kfir, R., Overholt, W. A., Khan, Z. R., and Polaszek, A. 2002. Biology and management of economically important lepidopteran cereal stemborers in Africa. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 47:701–731. doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.47.091201.145254.
Khan, Z. R., Ampong-Nyarko, K., Chiliswa, P., Hassanali, A, Kimani, S., Lwande, W., Overholt, W. A., Pickett, J. A., Smart, L. E., Wadhams, L. J., and Woodcock, C. M. 1997. Intercropping increases parasitism of pests. Nature 388:631–632.
Ochieng, R. S., Onyango, F. O., and Bungu, M. D. O. 1985. Improvement of techniques for mass-culture of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe). Insect Sci. Appl. 6:425–428.
Odendo, M., De Groote, H., and Odongo, O. M. 2001. Assessment of Farmers’ Preferences and Constraints To Maize Production In Moist Midaltitude Zone Of Western Kenya. Paper presented at the 5th International Conference of the African Crop Science Society, Lagos, Nigeria October 21–26, 2001.
Overholt, W. A., Ochieng, J. O., Lammers, P., and Ogedah, K. 1994. Rearing and field release methods for Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of tropical gramineous stemborers. Insect Sci. Appl. 15:253–259.
Seshu Reddy, K. V., and Walker, P. T. 1990. A review of the yield losses in graminaceous crop caused by Chilo spp. Insect Sci. Appl. 11:563–569.
Tamiru, A., Bruce T. J. A., Woodcock, C. M., Caulfield, J. C., Midega, C. A. O., Ogol, C. K. P. O., Mayon, P., Birkett, M. A. Pickett, J. A., and Khan, Z. R. 2011. Maize landraces recruit egg and larval parasitoids in response to egg deposition by a herbivore. Ecol. Lett. 14:1075–1083. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01674.x.
Tumlinson, J. H., Turlings, T. C. J., and Lewis, W. J. 1993. Semiochemically mediated foraging behavior in beneficial parasitic insects. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 22:385–391.
Turlings, T. C. J., Tumlinson, J. H., and Lewis, W. J. 1990. Exploitation of herbivore-induced plant odors by host-seeking parasitic wasps. Science 250:1251–1253.
Wadhams, L. J. 1990. The use of coupled gas chromatography: electrophysiological techniques in the identification of insect pheromones, pp 289–298, in A. R. McCaffery and I. D. Wilson (eds.), Chromatography and Isolation of Insect Hormones and Pheromones. Plenum, New York.
Acknowledgements
We thank local farmers in Mbita for contributing seed and Amos Gadi, Jacob Odhiambo and Silas Ouko for assistance with insect rearing and screen house operations. This work was supported by an International Foundation for Science (IFS) and a Rothamsted International African Fellows award to AT and the Kilimo Trust and European Union funded ADOPT Project (DCI-FOOD⁄2010⁄230224). Rothamsted Research receives grant-aided support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council of the UK.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tamiru, A., Bruce, T.J.A., Midega, C.A.O. et al. Oviposition Induced Volatile Emissions from African Smallholder Farmers’ Maize Varieties. J Chem Ecol 38, 231–234 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-012-0082-1
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-012-0082-1