The effect of exogenous jasmonic acid on induced resistance and productivity in amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) is influenced by environmental conditions

Amaranthus hypochondriacus is a C4 pseudocereal crop capable of producing reasonable grain yields in adverse environmental conditions that limit cereal performance. It accumulates trypsin inhibitors and alpha-amylase inhibitors in seeds and leaves that are considered to act as insect feeding deterrents. Foliar trypsin and alpha-amylase inhibitors also accumulate by treatment with exogenous jasmonic acid (JA) in controlled laboratory conditions. Three field experiments were performed in successive years to test if two nonphytotoxic dosages of JA were capable of inducing inhibitor activity in A. hypochondriacus in agronomical settings, and if this induced response reduced insect herbivory and insect abundance in foliage and seed heads. The performance of JA-treated plants was compared to insecticide-treated plants and untreated controls. The effect of exogenous JA on the foliar levels of six additional putatively defence proteins was also evaluated. Possible adverse effects of JA induction on productivity were evaluated by measuring grain yield, seed protein content, and germination efficiency. The results present a complex pattern and were not consistent from year to year. To some extent, the yearly variability observed could have been consequence of growth under drought versus nondrought conditions. In a drought year, JA-treated plants had lower levels of insect herbivory-derived damage in apical leaves and panicle than control plants, whereas in nondrought years, there was an inconsistent effect on aphids, with no effect on lepidopteran larvae. JA treatments reduced the size of the insect community in seed heads. The effect varied with year. Exogenous JA did not adversely affect productivity, and in the absence of drought stress, the higher dosage enhanced grain yield. Induction of defensive proteins by JA, although sporadic, was more effective in nondrought conditions. The patterns of foliar protein accumulation observed suggest that they may be part of a constitutive, rather than inducible, chemical defense mechanism that is developmentally regulated and critically dependent on the environment. The results emphasize the difficulties that are often encountered when evaluating the performance of chemical elicitors of induced resistance in field settings.