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<p>Soil salinization and insect herbivory pose significant threats to global food security. While biocontrol agents like parasitoid wasps are a key pest management strategy, their efficacy may be compromised by abiotic stressors cascading through trophic levels. This study investigates the tri-trophic interactions among tomato plants (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>), the caterpillar pest <i>Helicoverpa zea</i>, and its specialist endoparasitoid <i>Microplitis croceipes</i>, under salinity stress. In Y-tube olfactometer assays, <i>M. croceipes</i> were significantly more attracted to herbivore-damaged plants grown under control conditions compared to those under salinity stress. While the volatile blend emitted by plants did not differ between treatments, shifts in volatile emissions of <i>α</i>-copaene, 3<i>E</i>-hexenol, methoxy phenyl oxime, and TMTT, likely influenced parasitoid choices. To determine whether these plant-mediated changes extended to host quality, we conducted separate behavioral and developmental assays. When presented with a choice, female wasps exhibited no oviposition preference between “non-salty” and “salty” hosts. However, the impact of salinity on parasitoid performance was stage-dependent with salinity stress significantly delaying larval development but not affecting offspring sex ratios. These findings suggest that salinity induces complex trade-offs between parasitoid attraction and fitness metrics, influencing top-down control exerted by parasitoids. This highlights the critical need for integrated frameworks that account for abiotic factors when designing biological control strategies for herbivore populations in saline environments.</p>

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Salinity impacts biocontrol: a tri-trophic assessment of the effects of soil salinity on plant signaling and parasitoid fitness

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月13日

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  • Sahil V. Pawar,
  • Bijay Subedi,
  • Rorri Mueller,
  • Mahendra Pawar,
  • Sujay M. Paranjape,
  • Michelle Peiffer,
  • Monica Kersch-Becker,
  • Jared Ali,
  • Gary W. Felton

摘要

Soil salinization and insect herbivory pose significant threats to global food security. While biocontrol agents like parasitoid wasps are a key pest management strategy, their efficacy may be compromised by abiotic stressors cascading through trophic levels. This study investigates the tri-trophic interactions among tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum), the caterpillar pest Helicoverpa zea, and its specialist endoparasitoid Microplitis croceipes, under salinity stress. In Y-tube olfactometer assays, M. croceipes were significantly more attracted to herbivore-damaged plants grown under control conditions compared to those under salinity stress. While the volatile blend emitted by plants did not differ between treatments, shifts in volatile emissions of α-copaene, 3E-hexenol, methoxy phenyl oxime, and TMTT, likely influenced parasitoid choices. To determine whether these plant-mediated changes extended to host quality, we conducted separate behavioral and developmental assays. When presented with a choice, female wasps exhibited no oviposition preference between “non-salty” and “salty” hosts. However, the impact of salinity on parasitoid performance was stage-dependent with salinity stress significantly delaying larval development but not affecting offspring sex ratios. These findings suggest that salinity induces complex trade-offs between parasitoid attraction and fitness metrics, influencing top-down control exerted by parasitoids. This highlights the critical need for integrated frameworks that account for abiotic factors when designing biological control strategies for herbivore populations in saline environments.