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Nitrogen and water inputs to tomato plant do not trigger bottom‐up effects on a leafminer parasitoid through host and non‐host exposures
Author(s) -
Dong YongCheng,
Han Peng,
Niu ChangYing,
Zappalà Lucia,
AmiensDesneux Edwige,
Bearez Philippe,
Lavoir AnneViolette,
Biondi Antonio,
Desneux Nicolas
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.4750
Subject(s) - tuta absoluta , biology , host (biology) , pest analysis , parasitoid , trophic level , integrated pest management , solanum , biological pest control , agronomy , herbivore , toxicology , ecology , botany , gelechiidae
BACKGROUND Bottom‐up and top‐down forces are major components of biological control against pests in an agro‐ecosystem. Understanding the multi‐trophic interactions between plants and secondary consumers would help optimize pest control strategies. We manipulated nitrogen and/or water inputs to tomato plants ( Solanum lycopersicum ) to test whether these manipulations could trigger bottom‐up effects on the parasitoid Necremnus tutae via host ( Tuta absoluta ) and/or non‐host ( Bemisia tabaci ) exposures, and compared the control efficacy of N. tutae on T. absoluta in the presence and absence of B. tabaci . RESULTS The results showed no cascading effects of plant nitrogen and/or water inputs on N. tutae via either host or non‐host exposure. The bottom‐up force was mitigated by chewing or sap‐feeding insect consumers at the second energy level. By contrast, the top‐down force on T. absoluta from parasitoids was enhanced by an additionally provided non‐host, which could produce alternative food sources extending N. tutae longevity and enhancing the fitness of its offspring. CONCLUSION Our results provided evidence for the combination of bottom‐up and top‐down approaches in tomato integrated pest management programs. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry