D3267: Crop-associated microbiota differentially regulate corn and cotton resistance to herbivory

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM MST

Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 6, PCC

Presenting Author(s)

Morgan Thompson (she/her/hers)

PhD Student
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas

Co-Author(s)

JA

Jayda Arriaga

Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
LP

Lindsey Perkin

USDA-ARS
College Station, Texas
Anjel Helms

Assistant Professor
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas

Increased agricultural pest pressure and heightened demands for reducing reliance on chemical controls necessitates alternative sustainable pest management strategies. Crop-associated microbiota can boost plant resistance to insect pests, but harnessing crop-associated microbiota for improved plant production remains challenging. Crop rotation is a management strategy used to increase soil nutrients, suppress diseases, and disrupt insect pest accumulation. Recent evidence shows crop rotation alters microbiota diversity and can even influence resistance against an aboveground insect pest in tomato. However, the influence of crop rotation on microbiota-mediated resistance to insect pests in corn (Zea mays L.) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) remains unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated how crop rotation legacies alter corn and cotton resistance to a challenging insect pest, fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). Based on a preliminary experiment, we predicted legacies of consecutive planting would increase resistance to herbivory, whereas crop rotation legacies would reduce resistance. To test this hypothesis, we retrieved soil microbiota from fields with a legacy of consecutive cotton planting, fields with a legacy of consecutive corn planting, and fields with a legacy of crop rotation. In the greenhouse, we grew individual corn and cotton plants in each soil microbiota treatment and a sterile control soil. We challenged plants to fall armyworm herbivory, and we assessed larvae mass gain and feeding damage, as well as plant growth. Overall, our work contributes to an increased understanding of how to utilize microbiota in agricultural systems for sustainable pest management practices.