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Alterations of foliar arthropod communities in a maize agroecosystem induced by the root-associated fungus Trichoderma harzianum

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Abstract

Plants establish multitrophic interactions above- and belowground with arthropods and microorganisms. Trichoderma spp. are common soil fungi that colonize roots and promote plant growth and health. Under controlled conditions, Trichoderma spp. have been shown to induce plant resistance against the attack of foliar herbivore insects. Here, we investigated the effect of field inoculation with Trichoderma harzianum in the rhizosphere of maize plants during the vegetative plant growth phase on the community of pest and beneficial arthropods associated with maize foliage. Independent of T. harzianum inoculation, the arthropod community was complex and harbored chewing and piercing-sucking herbivores as well as natural enemies. Inoculation with T. harzianum increased the abundance of chewing herbivores, decreased the number of piercing-sucking herbivores and increased the abundance of sampled pest regulating arthropods. In addition, we provide a biochemical basis of shoot metabolites, which may be involved in the alterations of the foliage arthropod community mediated by T. harzianum. Inoculation with T. harzianum caused substantial changes in the levels of sucrose, jasmonic acid (an activator of defense responses against herbivory) and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol (a volatile compound that attracts natural enemies of herbivores). In conclusion, our results show that inoculation with T. harzianum can alter the arthropod community associated with maize foliage and reduce the abundance of specific pest insects under field conditions.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Estefanía Saucedo, Wendy Méndoza and Franscisco Mora (IIES-UNAM) for their technical support in the field experiment, identification of insects and statistical analyses, respectively. The authors are indebted to the Consejo Nacional de Ciencía y Tecnología (CONACYT, México) for financial support of the research Projects 165738 and 179319. Authors do not have any conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, Ex-Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, C.P. 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Hexon Angel Contreras-Cornejo, Fernanda Viveros-Bremauntz, Ek del-Val, Dante Alejandro López-Carmona, Carlos E. González-Esquivel & John Larsen

  2. Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 58030, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Lourdes Macías-Rodríguez

  3. Posgrado de Edafología, Colegio de Postgraduados, Carretera México-Texcoco Km 36.5, C.P. 56230, Mexico, Montecillo Texcoco, Mexico

    Alejandro Alarcón

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  1. Hexon Angel Contreras-Cornejo
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  2. Fernanda Viveros-Bremauntz
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  3. Ek del-Val
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  4. Lourdes Macías-Rodríguez
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  5. Dante Alejandro López-Carmona
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  6. Alejandro Alarcón
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  7. Carlos E. González-Esquivel
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  8. John Larsen
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Correspondence to Hexon Angel Contreras-Cornejo.

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Communicated by L.R. Jaber.

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Contreras-Cornejo, H.A., Viveros-Bremauntz, F., del-Val, E. et al. Alterations of foliar arthropod communities in a maize agroecosystem induced by the root-associated fungus Trichoderma harzianum. J Pest Sci 94, 363–374 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-020-01261-3

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