Simulation of early season herbivory via mechanical damage affects flower production in pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo ssp. pepo).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Damage from insect herbivores can elicit a wide range of plant responses, including reduced or compensatory growth, altered volatile profiles, or increased production of defence compounds. Specifically, herbivory can alter floral development as plants reallocate resources towards defence and regrowth functions. For pollinator-dependent species, floral quantity and quality are critical for attracting floral visitors; thus, herbivore-induced developmental effects that alter either floral abundance or attractiveness may have critical implications for plant reproductive success. Based on past work on resource trade-offs, we hypothesize that herbivore damage-induced effects are stronger in structural floral traits that require significant resource investment (e.g. flower quan

SUBMITTER: Gray HL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11979761 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature