Survival of the Colorado potato beetle on virus-infected tomato in relation to plant nitrogen and alkaloid content
1987
Hare, J Daniel | Dodds, J Allan
Infection by tobacco mosaic virus improved the suitability of tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, for survival of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), larvae. This improvement was due, at least in part, to the increase in total nitrogen content of virus-infected plants. The simultaneous increase in tomatine content had no discernable effect on L. decemlineata survival. Our results are consistent with the suggestions that virus infection may improve the suitability of partially resistant or non-preferred hosts, and that virus infection may facilitate the adaption of phytophagous insects to such ‘marginal' host plant species.
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