Meta-analysis reveals that pollinator functional diversity and abundance enhance crop pollination and yield.

How insects promote crop pollination remains poorly understood in terms of the contribution of functional trait differences between species. We used meta-analyses to test for correlations between community abundance, species richness and functional trait metrics with oilseed rape yield, a globally important crop. While overall abundance is consistently important in predicting yield, functional divergence between species traits also showed a positive correlation. This result supports the complementarity hypothesis that pollination function is maintained by non-overlapping trait distributions. In artificially constructed communities (mesocosms), species richness is positively correlated with yield, although this effect is not seen under field conditions. As traits of the dominant species do not predict yield above that attributed to the effect of abundance alone, we find no evidence in support of the mass ratio hypothesis. Management practices increasing not just pollinator abundance, but also functional divergence, could benefit oilseed rape agriculture.

New threshold temperatures for the development of a North American diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) population and its larval parasitoid, Diadegma insulare (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae).

The currently accepted lower threshold temperature for the development of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), the world's most destructive insect pest of cruciferous crops, is around 6.0°C, and there is no known upper threshold temperature. Neither are there established threshold temperatures for diamondback moth's major natural enemy, Diadegma insulare (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Laboratory studies were undertaken to determine the survival and development of a North American diamondback moth population and its parasitoid D. insulare at 20 constant temperatures ranging from 2.0 to 38.0°C. Diamondback moth completed development from second instar to adult within a temperature range of 4.0-37°C, and D. insulare completed its life cycle from egg to adult within a temperature range of 4.0-33°C. The developmental data were fitted into one linear and four nonlinear models. Using goodness-of-fit and the ability to estimate parameters of biological significance as selection criteria, the Wang model was the most acceptable among the nonlinear models to describe the relationship between temperature and development of both species. According to this model, the lower and upper threshold temperatures for diamondback moth were 2.1 and 38.0°C, respectively, and for D. insulare they were 2.1 and 34.0°C, respectively. Based on the Degree Day model, diamondback moth required 143 d above the lower threshold of 4.23°C to complete the life cycle, while D. insulare required 286 d above the lower threshold of 2.57°C. This study suggests that temperatures during the crop-growing seasons in North America are not limiting factors for development of either diamondback moth or D. insulare.

Responses of the crucifer flea beetle to Brassica volatiles in an olfactometer.

A suite of commercially available volatile compounds was tested in an olfactometer bioassay for responses by the crucifer flea beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferae). Flea beetles were inhibited by exposure to hexane, pentane, and ethanol. Allyl-isothiocyanate, a crucifer-specific volatile, was moderately attractive to spring and early fall flea beetles, but inhibitory to late fall flea beetles. Spring flea beetles were most attracted to (+)-sabinene and E-beta-ocimene, and 1-hexanol, 1-pentanol, and Z-3-hexen-1-ol were stronger attractants than allyl-isothiocyanate. Spring beetles were strongly inhibited by (-)-E-caryophyllene, beta-ionone, indole, (+/-)-linalool, (+)-limonene, E-geraniol, and (-)-beta-pinene and moderately inhibited by (-)-verbenene and hexenal. Our study showed that older leaves and flowers of Brassica napus variety AC Excel contained small amounts of beta-ionone, but seedlings did not. beta-Ionone has not been documented previously in B. napus.

"HAIRY CANOLA"--Arabidopsis GL3 induces a dense covering of trichomes on Brassica napus seedlings.

Transformation with the Arabidopsis bHLH gene 35S:GLABRA3 (GL3) produced novel B. napus plants with an extremely dense coverage of trichomes on seedling tissues (stems and young leaves). In contrast, trichomes were strongly induced in seedling stems and moderately induced in leaves of a hairy, purple phenotype transformed with a 2.2 kb allele of the maize anthocyanin regulator LEAF COLOUR (Lc), but only weakly induced by BOOSTER (B-Peru), the maize Lc 2.4 kb allele, or the Arabidopsis trichome MYB gene GLABRA1 (GL1). B. napus plants containing only the GL3 transgene had a greater proportion of trichomes on the adaxial leaf surface, whereas all other plant types had a greater proportion on the abaxial surface. Progeny of crosses between GL3+ and GL1+ plants resulted in trichome densities intermediate between a single-insertion GL3+ plant and a double-insertion GL3+ plant. None of the transformations stimulated trichomes on Brassica cotyledons or on non-seedling tissues. A small portion of bHLH gene-induced trichomes had a swollen terminal structure. The results suggest that trichome development in B. napus may be regulated differently from Arabidopsis. They also imply that insertion of GL3 into Brassica species under a tissue-specific promoter has strong potential for developing insect-resistant crop plants.