Applying chemical elicitors is considered a promising approach for controlling pests in the field. Our previous studies have shown that gibberellin (GA) signaling positively regulates the resistance of rice (Oryza sativa) to the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens (Stål). Yet, whether the exogenous application of GAs can enhance the resistance of rice to BPH remains unknown. Here, we investigated the influence of exogenous GA₃ on both defense responses in rice and BPH performance. We found that pretreating rice with GA₃ decreased transcript levels of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and three WRKY transcription factors, as well as levels of BPH-elicited jasmonic acid (JA) and three phenolic acids but increased the release of ethylene. Moreover, GA₃ treatment negatively affected the survival and development of BPH nymphs as well as the fecundity of BPH female adults. These findings suggest that GA₃ promotes the resistance of rice to BPH and may, thus, be used to improve pest management in rice.

应用化学引发剂被认为是控制田间害虫的一种有前途的方法。我们先前的研究表明，赤霉素（GA）信号正调控水稻（Oryza sativa）对褐飞虱（BPH）Nilaparvata lugens（Stål）的抗性。然而，外源应用GAs是否能增强水稻对BPH的抗药性仍未知。在这里，我们调查了外源GA ₃对水稻防御反应和BPH表现的影响。我们发现用GA ₃预处理大米降低了促分裂原活化蛋白激酶（MAPK）和三个WRKY转录因子的转录水平，以及BPH诱导的茉莉酸（JA）和三个酚酸的水平，但增加了乙烯的释放。此外，GA ₃处理对BPH若虫的存活和发育以及BPH成年雌虫的繁殖力产生负面影响。这些发现表明，GA _3可以促进水稻对BPH的抗性，因此可以用于改善水稻的害虫管理。