Abstract
Nutrients, such as zinc, determine plants’ abilities to respond to insect attack; however, the effect of zinc on herbivores is poorly characterized. We hypothesized that because zinc deficiency would compromise plant physiology, herbivores would perform best at low concentrations of zinc, while at intermediate concentrations of zinc, plants would have sufficient nutrients to mount defense. We tested this hypothesis in a greenhouse experiment where we explored the interaction of maize (Zea mays L.) and two noctuid caterpillars, black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon Hufnagel) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda Smith), in which we evaluated the effects of a normal range of zinc in Pennsylvania soils (0 – 11.7 ppm). To determine if zinc affected maize pests in the field, we investigated the effect of zinc fertilization on early season damage by resident herbivores, performance of fall armyworm on excised leaf tissue, and yield. In the greenhouse, we found zinc increased uptake of other nutrients, particularly nitrogen, and fertilizing with just 2.5 ppm zinc maximized maize plant growth. Fall armyworm performance marginally increased logarithmically with zinc fertilization. In addition, while caterpillars were not directly affected by zinc concentrations in leaves, fall armyworm caterpillars responded to leaf nitrogen. Fertilizing with zinc, therefore, may make plants more susceptible to herbivores because it increases protein concentrations in leaf tissue. Fertilizing with zinc in the field, however, had a much smaller effect on zinc uptake and nitrogen concentrations. While nitrogen still affected fall armyworm performance, nitrogen was not directly related to zinc dose. Furthermore, zinc treatments did not affect maize yield. We conclude that a small amount of zinc maximizes maize growth and subsequent increases in fertility may cause plants to become more susceptible to herbivore damage.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Zinc increased maize uptake of other nutrients, especially nitrogen, in the greenhouse.
- Treatment
- zince0
- Outcome
- uptake of other nutrients, particularly nitrogene0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Setting
- greenhousee0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“In the greenhouse, we found zinc increased uptake of other nutrients, particularly nitrogen”
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilizing with 2.5 ppm zinc maximized maize growth.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fertilizing with just 2.5 ppm zinc maximized maize plant growth.”
Claim · model-written summary
Fall armyworm performance increased marginally and logarithmically with zinc fertilization.
- Treatment
- zinc fertilizatione0
- Interactor
- Fall armyworm
.jpg?width=60)
Spodoptera frugiperdae0pest - Outcome
- Fall armyworm performancee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- marginallye0
Not reportedTaxon
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Fall armyworm performance marginally increased logarithmically with zinc fertilization.”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf zinc concentrations did not directly affect caterpillars.
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Interactor
- caterpillarse0pest
- Compound
- zince0
- Outcome
- caterpillarse0
- Direction
- not directly affectede0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“caterpillars were not directly affected by zinc concentrations in leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Fall armyworm caterpillars responded to leaf nitrogen.
- Organ / stage
- leafe0
- Interactor
- fall armywormSpodoptera frugiperdae0pest
- Compound
- nitrogene0
- Outcome
- fall armyworm caterpillarse0
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fall armyworm caterpillars responded to leaf nitrogen.”
Claim · model-written summary
Field zinc fertilization had a much smaller effect on zinc uptake and nitrogen concentration.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Fertilizing with zinc in the field, however, had a much smaller effect on zinc uptake and nitrogen concentrations.”
Claim · model-written summary
In the field, nitrogen still affected fall armyworm performance.
- Interactor
- fall armywormSpodoptera frugiperdae0pest
- Compound
- nitrogene0
- Outcome
- fall armyworm performancee0
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“While nitrogen still affected fall armyworm performance, nitrogen was not directly related to zinc dose.”
Claim · model-written summary
Field nitrogen was not directly related to zinc dose.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“nitrogen was not directly related to zinc dose.”
Claim · model-written summary
Zinc treatment did not affect maize yield.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“zinc treatments did not affect maize yield.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that increased zinc fertility may raise herbivore susceptibility.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee0
- Treatment
- increases in fertilitye0
- Outcome
- susceptible to herbivore damagee0
- Qualifier
- maye0
Verbatim
e0“subsequent increases in fertility may cause plants to become more susceptible to herbivore damage.”
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