D3290: The direct and indirect effects of PGPR on maize plants' defense to the fall armyworm

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM MST

Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 6, PCC

Presenting Author(s)

SK

Shravya Kolli

REU Student
Texas A&M University
Mission, Texas

Co-Author(s)

Caixing Xiong

Dr.
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
Pascal Ayelo

Postdoctoral Research Associate
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
BK

Basu D. Kafle

Graduate Student
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
HF

Henry Fadamiro

Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a devastating pest that poses a significant threat to maize crops worldwide. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in exploring sustainable and environmentally friendly strategies to mitigate the damage caused by this insect. One promising approach involves the use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) to enhance maize plants' defense mechanisms against insect pests. PGPR is known for improving plant growth by breaking down the macromolecules in the soil into nutrients that can be assimilated to the plants, while also enhancing the plant defense responses. This research aims to investigate the direct and indirect effects of PGPR on maize plants' defense responses to S. frugiperda. The study involves a series of controlled experiments including the no-choice oviposition assay and two-choice olfactometer bioassay using mated female moths, and the larval feeding assay. We further investigated the mechanisms behind plant-induced insect behavior change by analyzing and comparing volatiles of plants treated with PGPR versus plants that were not treated with PGPR. Transitioning to the results section, the study observed a decrease in larval survival rates on SMTX3 compared to SMCTRL, despite no significant variance in larval weight. Moreover, there were no discernible distinctions in adult oviposition preference or olfactory reactions to plant volatiles. Notably, the results from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis aligned with those from the olfactometer experiments. This is an effort towards contributing to the development of a new method to promote sustainable agriculture