Root infection by the nematode Meloidogyne incognita modulates leaf antiherbivore defenses and plant resistance to Spodoptera exigua.

ABSTRACT: Studies on plant-mediated interactions between root parasitic nematodes and aboveground herbivores are rapidly increasing. However, outcomes for the interacting organisms vary, and the mechanisms involved remain ambiguous. We hypothesized that the impact of root infection by the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita on the performance of the aboveground caterpillar Spodoptera exigua is modulated by the nematode's infection cycle. We challenged root-knot nematode-infected tomato plants with caterpillars when the nematode's infection cycle was at the invasion, galling, and reproduction stages. We found that M. incognita root infection enhanced S. exigua performance during the galling stage, while it did not affect the caterpillar's performance at the invasion and reproduction stages. Mole

SUBMITTER: Mbaluto CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8664589 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature