Climate Change Modulates Multitrophic Interactions Between Maize, A Root Herbivore, and Its Enemies.

ABSTRACT: How climate change will modify belowground tritrophic interactions is poorly understood, despite their importance for agricultural productivity. Here, we manipulated the three major abiotic factors associated with climate change (atmospheric CO₂, temperature, and soil moisture) and investigated their individual and joint effects on the interaction between maize, the banded cucumber beetle (Diabrotica balteata), and the entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Changes in individual abiotic parameters had a strong influence on plant biomass, leaf wilting, sugar concentrations, protein levels, and benzoxazinoid contents. Yet, when combined to simulate a predicted climate scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5, RCP 8.5), their effects mostly counter

SUBMITTER: Guyer A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8613123 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature