Methyl salicylate reduces aphid abundance in maize through multiple modes of action

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2024.12.027

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Yingyue Xu¹, Xuanchen Zhou¹, Bin Yan¹, Yang Yue¹, Min Zhang², Haibin Yuan^1#, Shuai Liu^1#

¹ College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China

²Monitoring and Testing Center for Ginseng and Antler Products, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China

Highlights

l Methyl salicylate effectively deters both wingless and winged aphids by disrupting their ability to colonize and infest maize plants.

l Methyl salicylate can attract predatory natural enemies of aphids.

l Exposure of maize to methyl salicylate reduces aphid numbers and impacts their development and fecundity.

Abstract
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摘要

玉米是全球重要的粮食作物。玉米蚜虫是危害玉米的重要害虫，随着Bt转基因抗虫玉米的逐步推广种植，玉米蚜虫可能由原来的次要害虫上升为主要害虫。因此，需要发展玉米蚜虫高效绿色的防治方法。有研究表明水杨酸甲酯作为常见的虫害诱导挥发物能够防控多种蚜虫，但是对玉米蚜虫是否具有控制作用还未可知。本研究利用“Y”型嗅觉仪和培养皿扩散实验探究了水杨酸甲酯对蚜虫的驱避作用，结果表明水杨酸甲酯在0.1 ng μL^-1 -1000ng μL^-1 的浓度下可以显著驱避禾谷缢管蚜有翅型和无翅型。利用“Y”型嗅觉仪分析了水杨酸甲酯对蚜虫捕食性天敌异色瓢虫的行为影响，结果发现100 ng μL^-1和1000 ng μL^-1水杨酸甲酯可以显著吸引异色瓢虫的成虫和幼虫。此外，将玉米植株暴露在具有水杨酸甲酯的环境中，可以降低玉米植株上蚜虫的种群数量。利用昆虫微养虫笼分析水杨酸甲酯对蚜虫生存适合度的影响，结果发现水杨酸甲酯处理后蚜虫的若虫发育历期延长，成虫寿命和生殖期缩短，产仔量显著降低。田间实验本研究利用海藻酸钠缓释球包裹水杨酸甲酯释放到玉米田探究其对蚜虫和捕食性天敌种群数量的影响，连续2年田间调查结果发现水杨酸甲酯缓释球可以显著降低禾谷缢管蚜、玉米蚜和棉蚜的种群数量，但是可以提高天敌异色瓢虫、龟纹瓢虫、大灰优食蚜蝇和中华草蛉的种群数量。以上结果证明了水杨酸甲酯具有防控玉米田蚜虫的潜力，为蚜虫的绿色防治提供了新的方法。

Abstract

Maize is a cornerstone of global food security, but it faces increasing challenges from corn aphids, particularly with the widespread adoption of genetically modified Bt maize. This trend suggests a growing need for sustainable pest control strategies. Methyl salicylate has been proposed as a volatile compound with the potential for managing aphids. In this study, Y-tube olfactometer and Petri dish dispersal assays showed that methyl salicylate can repel wingless and winged aphids at 0.1 to 1,000 ng μL^-1. Moreover, at concentrations of 100 and 1,000 ng μL^-1, it was found to attract beneficial insects such as adults and larvae of Harmonia axyridis. Exposing maize plants to methyl salicylate resulted in a prominent reduction in the number of aphids compared to the control. In addition, clip cage experiment assays showed that the nymphal development duration was increased, while the adult duration and generation time were reduced, and the reproductive duration and total number of aphid offspring in plants treated with methyl salicylate were dramatically lower than in the control. Over two years of field trials, methyl salicylate-impregnated alginate beads provided significant reductions in the populations of key aphid species, including Rhopalosiphum padi, Rhopalosiphum maidis, and Aphis gossypii. Concurrently, there were marked increases in the presence of natural predators such as H. axyridis, Propylaea japonica, Syrphus corollae, and Chrysoperla sinica. These compelling results underscore the potential of methyl salicylate as a key component in integrated pest management strategies for maize, offering a green alternative to traditional chemical control.

Keywords: methyl salicylate aphids natural predators pest control

Online: 24 December 2024

Fund:

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32202311), the Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province, China (20230101265JC), the Jilin Province Youth Science and Technology Talent Support Project, China (QT202307), and the Jilin Province Science and Technology Development Plan Project, China (20220505019ZP).

About author: Yingyue Xu, Mobile: +86-18943103536, E-mail: xyy020799@163.com; #Correspondence: Haibin Yuan, E-mail: yhb-74@163.com; Shuai Liu, Mobile: +86-18166896936, E-mail: liushuai0903@126.com

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Yingyue Xu, Xuanchen Zhou, Bin Yan, Yang Yue, Min Zhang, Haibin Yuan, Shuai Liu. 2024. Methyl salicylate reduces aphid abundance in maize through multiple modes of action. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Doi:10.1016/j.jia.2024.12.027

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