Effect of Methyl Salicylate-Based Lures on Beneficial and Pest
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CHEMICAL ECOLOGY Effect of Methyl Salicylate-Based Lures on Beneficial and Pest Arthropods in Strawberry JANA C. LEE1 United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, 3420 NW Orchard Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97330 Environ. Entomol. 39(2): 653Ð660 (2010); DOI: 10.1603/EN09279 ABSTRACT Methyl salicylate (MeSA) is a common herbivore-induced plant volatile that, when applied to crops, has the potential to enhance natural enemy abundance and pest control. The impacts of MeSA in strawberry were unknown and examined in the spring and midsummer period. Strawberry plots contained no lures (control) or two 30-d MeSA lures (Predalure) in the center: one lure 0.61 m aboveground over a sticky trap, and one lure on a plant near the ground. Arthropod abundance was monitored at the point source, 5 m and 10 m away from lures over 31 d with white sticky traps, pitfall traps, and leaf inspection. Twenty-seven and nine comparisons were made among beneÞcial and pest arthropods, respectively. Overall positive responses were found among Chrysopidae in JulyÐAugust 2008 and Orius tristicolor (White) in MayÐJune 2009 to MeSA based on sticky traps. Chrysopidae showed attraction to the point source, but not at 5 m and 10 m. Ground-dwelling predators collected in pitfall traps such as Araneae, the carabid beetles, Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger), and Nebria brevicollis (Fabricius) did not respond. Increased abundance of six natural enemy groups appeared on various dates between 3 and 24 d after placement of lures in the Þeld based on leaf inspection and sticky traps. Conversely, fewer Coccinellidae were captured on sticky traps on days 0Ð3, and fewer natural enemies were observed on leaves on day 28 in MeSA plots. MeSA did not increase nor decrease pest abundance. KEY WORDS Carabidae, green lacewing, herbivore-induced plant volatiles, HIPV, lady beetles Plants produce volatile organic compounds during gel) K. Larsen (reviewed by James 2003a), kidney and after herbivore attack for defense and signaling. bean (Maeda and Liu 2006), spring onion (Tatemoto During the past 30 yr, a variety of predators and para- and Shimoda 2008), Norway spruce (Kannaste et al. sitoids has been found to locate pests via these her- 2008), soybean (Zhu and Park 2005), and strawberry bivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPV) in laboratory (Himanen et al. 2005). MeSA is also directly attractive and Þeld experiments (reviewed by Dicke et al. 1998 to natural enemies even when other semiochemical and Khan et al. 2008). Recently, Þeld applications of cues are present at close spatial range. Twelve natural various synthetic HIPVs have enhanced natural en- enemy species or families were attracted to traps in- emy abundance in vineyards and hops (James and dividually baited with a MeSA lure compared with the Price 2004), parasitism rates in cotton (Williams et al. control when set 10Ð15 m apart from unbaited and 2008), and predation rates in the desert plant Nicotiana other HIPV-baited traps (James 2003a, 2005). For attenuata Torr. ex S. Watson (Kessler and Baldwin grower applications, MeSA is available as a slow-re- 2001). In addition, synthetic HIPVs may induce crop lease dispenser Predalure for 30 or 90 d (AgBio, West- plants to produce a blend of defensive volatiles that minster, CO), as a component in the botanical insec- may render it more attractive to natural enemies ticide Ecotrol (Ecosmart Technologies, Alpharetta, (Khan et al. 2008), or prime neighboring plants for GA), or for mixing with pesticides to mask unpleasant future production of defensive volatiles (Engelberth odors, Odor-Mask (Monterey AgResources, Fresno, et al. 2004). CA). Of the various HIPVs, methyl salicylate (MeSA) is Practical considerations for using MeSA or other commonly emitted by plants, is attractive to natural HIPVs include the optimal spacing and dosage of lures, enemies, and is readily available to growers. Release of and whether the volatiles are attractive to pests and MeSA has been documented in herbivore-infested interfere with the searching ability of natural enemies. lima bean, tomato, cucumber, cabbage, pear, hops, Khan et al. (2008) found that MeSA at 447Ð642 bird cherry, potato, N. attenuata, Lotus japonicus (Re- lures/ha were less effective than 180/ha. Besides di- rect attraction to the lure, the synthetic HIPVs should 1 E-mail: [email protected]. augment natural enemies in the general vicinity to 654 ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY Vol. 39, no. 2 beneÞt pest control. This has been demonstrated with 100 m apart to minimize volatile overlap from the two higher natural enemy abundance in MeSA-baited MeSA lures (2 g load/lure) positioned at the center of vineyards and hop yards than unbaited yards (James the plot. A previous test with various volatiles includ- and Grasswitz 2005, James and Price 2004). Abun- ing MeSA (5 g load/lure, 14 lures in 8 by 30 m) had dance was monitored with shake samples taken ran- reported differences from unbaited plots when plots domly in the yard and sticky traps in the center of the were at least 100 m apart (James 2006). The Þeld yard that were not necessarily next to the lure. A contained several varieties of strawberries comprising second consideration is that the volatile may also at- 20Ð80 rows, with some varieties repeating. To ade- tract pests if pests prefer plants weakened by prior quately space plots apart from each other, blocks were feeding. For instance, the apple fruit moth, Argyresthia set up among different varieties. In 2008, two blocks conjugella Zeller, was attracted to MeSA in Þeld tests were set up in Tillamook, one in Totem, and one in (Bengtsson et al. 2006). Alternatively, MeSA may re- Shuskan. In 2009, one block was placed in Tillamook, pel pests; for example, it reduced the aphid Phorodon two in Totem, and one in Shuksan. Plots were situated humili Schrank in hop yards (Losel et al. 1996), and in different parts of the Þeld each year. delayed the establishment of bird cherry-oat aphid, At the center of each MeSA plot, one 2-g, 30-d Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), in barley (Ninkovic et al. Predalure lure was staked 0.61 m aboveground over a 2003). Lastly, synthetic HIPVs may affect the natural sticky trap, and another lure was placed on a straw- enemyÕs ability to search for pests. Using a determin- berry plant and in contact with the ground. The high- istic model, a parasitoid attacked three times as many hanging lure enabled testing the attraction of ßying pests if they searched mainly for volatile-producing insects, whereas the low-hanging lure enabled testing plants under ideal conditions (Puente et al. 2008). of ground-dwelling predators. Ground-dwelling pred- However, if a Þeld becomes saturated with volatiles, ators were monitored by pitfall traps using 32-ounce the proportion of volatile-producing plants with suit- plastic cups. Foliar insects were monitored by folded able pests decreases, thereby lowering the success of white sticky traps (20 ϫ 28 cm) and nondestructive parasitoids. Conversely, laboratory studies by Ozawa visual inspection of the upper and lower sides of three et al. (2004) suggest that volatile manipulation may leaßets (one leaf) on random strawberry plants. All not necessarily interfere with a parasitoidÕs ability to pests and natural enemies observed on the leaves locate pests at close range. Parasitoids preferred jas- with the aid of Magni-focusers (BioQuip, Rancho monic acid-induced plants infested with armyworms Dominguez, CA) were recorded. To determine spatial more than just infested plants or induced plants. trends, nine pitfall and nine sticky traps were set up This study evaluated the impacts of MeSA in straw- per plot with positions at the center, and at5mand berry Þelds by: 1) monitoring the abundance of nat- 10 m from the center in the north, south, east, and west ural enemies, including ground-dwelling predators; 2) directions. The arrangement of traps followed a ÔϩÕ abundance of pests; 3) determining the temporal shape. Thirty leaves were randomly sampled per plot trends with a 30-d lure; and 4) the attractiveness of with 10 leaves examined next to center, and at5mand MeSA over several short-range distances. Studies were 10 m radius. MeSA lures were placed 25 July 2008 and conducted in strawberry, where the Þeld efÞcacy of 9 May 2009, and six sample collections were taken until MeSA is unknown, and the beneÞts appeared prom- 25 August 2008 and 9 June 2009. ising. First, MeSA is a relevant HIPV in strawberries. Common predators from traps were identiÞed to Plants infested with cyclamen mite (Himanen et al. species or genus, and parasitoids to super/family level. 2005) and strawberry blossom weevil (Bichao et al. Most Chrysopidae adults could not be identiÞed to 2005) emitted higher levels of MeSA compared with species in 2008 because of deterioration of samples. undamaged plants. Secondly, natural enemies of major When abundance of insects was low, related taxa were strawberry pests respond to MeSA in the laboratory, combined into larger groups such as by family for including Anaphes iole Girault, an egg parasitoid of sticky cards, or by natural enemies and pests for leaf Lygus hesperus Knight (Williams et al. 2008), and Phyt- counts. Before analyses, count data were tested for oselius persimilis Athias-Henriot, a predator mass re- homogeneity of variance, and arthropods captured leased for control of twospotted spider mite, Tetrany- from pitfall and sticky trap samples were divided by chus urticae Koch (De Boer and Dicke 2004). the number of days elapsing between placement and Although not examined in this study, MeSA may have collection. In tables and Þgures, mean arthropod a beneÞcial effect of inhibiting development of gray counts are presented as 7-d counts, except for Thripi- mold, Botrytis cinerea Pers.