Increased insect herbivore performance under elevated CO₂ is associated with lower plant defence signalling and minimal declines in nutritional quality.

ABSTRACT: Changes in insect herbivore performance under elevated atmosphere carbon dioxide concentrations e[CO₂] are often driven by changes in the nutritional and defensive chemistry of their host plants. Studies addressing how the prolific pest cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) responds to e[CO₂] show that performance usually declines, often associated with lower nutritional (e.g. nitrogen (N) concentrations) quality of host plants under e[CO₂]. We investigated the impacts of e[CO₂] on nutritional quality and anti-herbivore (jasmonate) defensive signalling in lucerne (Medicago sativa) when challenged by H. armigera. While foliar N decreased under e[CO₂], other aspects of nutritional quality (soluble protein, amino acids, foliar C:N) were

SUBMITTER: Johnson SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7471906 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature