Exploring Thrips Preference and Resistance in Flowers, Leaves, and Whole Plants of Ten Capsicum Accessions

Affiliation
Has Green Academy, Spoorstraat 62, 5911 KJ Venlo, The Netherlands
Visschers, Isabella G. S.;
Affiliation
Weerbare Planten, Aeres University of Applied Science, Arboretum West 98, 1325 WB Almere, The Netherlands
Macel, Mirka;
Affiliation
Plant Systems Physiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Peters, Janny L.;
Affiliation
Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Sergeeva, Lidiya;
Affiliation
Syngenta, Westeinde 62, 1601 BK Enkhuizen, The Netherlands
Bruin, Jan;
GND
1214830226
ORCID
0000-0003-2622-5446
Affiliation
Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger-Str. 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
van Dam, Nicole M.

Capsicum species grown for pepper production suffer severely from thrips damage, urging the identification of natural resistance. Resistance levels are commonly assessed on leaves. However, Capsicum plants are flower-bearing during most of the production season, and thrips also feed on pollen and flower tissues. In order to obtain a comprehensive estimate of elements contributing to thrips resistance, flower tissues should be considered as well. Therefore, we assessed resistance to Frankliniella occidentalis in flowers, leaves, and whole plants of ten Capsicum accessions. Using choice assays, we found that thrips prefer flowers of certain accessions over others. The preference of adult thrips for flowers was positively correlated to trehalose and fructose concentration in anthers as well as to pollen quantity. Resistance measured on leaf discs and thrips population development on whole plants was significantly and positively correlated. Leaf-based resistance thus translates to reduced thrips population development. Results of the flower assays were not significantly correlated with resistance in leaves or on whole plants. This suggests that both leaves and flowers represent a different part of the resistance spectrum and should both be considered for understanding whole plant resistance and the identification of resistant Capsicum varieties.

Cite

Citation style:
Could not load citation form.

Rights

License Holder: © 2023 by the authors.

Use and reproduction: