Martinez Laura, Aflitto Nicholas C, MacNeill Fiona T, Grele Ari, Thaler Jennifer S
Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
J Econ Entomol. 2025 Jun 13;118(3):1297-1306. doi: 10.1093/jee/toaf097.
Predators and their cues can change prey traits, including prey feeding behavior and abundance, even without direct predation. While these nonconsumptive effects are common in agricultural systems, their impact on crop yield is less understood. We investigated the impact of a synthetic predator pheromone on potato tuber yield and its underlying mechanisms within a Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and predatory stink bug, Podisus maculiventris Say (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), system. Previous studies demonstrated that releasing the predator pheromone reduces beetle abundance and herbivore damage, and we tested whether this translated into increases in yield. We then tested the mechanisms through which the predator pheromone could increase yield. In addition to the prey responding to predator cues, we tested 2 additional hypotheses: that the pheromone influences predator abundance and plant responses, both potentially contributing to beetle suppression and yield improvement. Over 2 field seasons, pheromone-treated plots showed a 13% increase in tuber yield and fewer Colorado potato beetle larvae, suggesting yield improvement is correlated to reduced beetle abundance. Field observations indicated that stink bug predator densities were too low to significantly impact beetle populations. Instead, in lab experiments, we found that plants exposed to the pheromone flowered earlier and exhibited induced resistance, reducing larval feeding. These findings demonstrate that predator cues can enhance crop yields by influencing both plant and prey responses, highlighting their potential use in integrated pest management.
即使没有直接捕食，捕食者及其线索也会改变猎物的特征，包括猎物的取食行为和数量。虽然这些非消费性影响在农业系统中很常见，但它们对作物产量的影响却鲜为人知。我们研究了一种合成捕食者信息素对马铃薯块茎产量的影响及其潜在机制，该机制存在于科罗拉多马铃薯甲虫（Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say，鞘翅目：叶甲科）和捕食性椿象（Podisus maculiventris Say，半翅目：蝽科）系统中。先前的研究表明，释放捕食者信息素可降低甲虫数量和食草动物造成的损害，我们测试了这是否会转化为产量的增加。然后，我们测试了捕食者信息素能够提高产量的机制。除了猎物对捕食者线索做出反应外，我们还测试了另外两个假设：信息素会影响捕食者数量和植物反应，这两者都可能有助于抑制甲虫数量并提高产量。在两个田间季节中，用信息素处理的地块块茎产量增加了13%，科罗拉多马铃薯甲虫幼虫数量减少，这表明产量的提高与甲虫数量的减少相关。田间观察表明，椿象捕食者的密度过低，无法对甲虫种群产生显著影响。相反，在实验室实验中，我们发现接触信息素的植物开花更早，并表现出诱导抗性，减少了幼虫的取食。这些发现表明，捕食者线索可以通过影响植物和猎物的反应来提高作物产量，突出了它们在综合虫害管理中的潜在用途。
