title: Virus infection mediates the effects of elevated CO2 on plants and vectors.
abstract: Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration has increased significantly and is projected to double by 2100. To increase current food production levels, understanding how pests and diseases respond to future climate driven by increasing CO2 is imperative. We investigated the effects of elevated CO2 (eCO2) on the interactions among wheat (cv. Yitpi), Barley yellow dwarf virus and an important pest and virus vector, the bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi), by examining aphid life history, feeding behavior and plant physiology and biochemistry. Our results showed for the first time that virus infection can mediate effects of eCO2 on plants and pathogen vectors. Changes in plant N concentration influenced aphid life history and behavior, and N concentration was affected by virus infection under eCO2. We observed a reduction in aphid population size and increased feeding damage on noninfected plants under eCO2 but no changes to population and feeding on virus-infected plants irrespective of CO2 treatment. We expect potentially lower future aphid populations on noninfected plants but no change or increased aphid populations on virus-infected plants therefore subsequent virus spread. Our findings underscore the complexity of interactions between plants, insects and viruses under future climate with implications for plant disease epidemiology and crop production.
authors.affiliation: Biosciences Research, Department of Economic Development, (DED), 110 Natimuk Rd, Horsham, VIC, 3400, Australia.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trębicki
authors.affiliation: Biosciences Research, DED, 5 Ring Road, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Vandegeer
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 2339, Moscow, ID 83844-2339 USA.
authors.forename: Nilsa A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Bosque-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Biosciences Research, DED, 124, Chiltern Valley Road, Rutherglen, VIC, 3685, Australia.
authors.forename: Kevin S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.affiliation: Biosciences Research, Department of Economic Development, (DED), 110 Natimuk Rd, Horsham, VIC, 3400, Australia.|Institute of Agricultural Sciences-CSIC, Calle Serrano 115 dpdo., 28006, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dader
authors.affiliation: Biosciences Research, DED, 5 Ring Road, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
authors.forename: Angela J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.affiliation: Biosciences Research, DED, 5 Ring Road, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.affiliation: Agriculture Research, DED, 110 Natimuk Rd, Horsham, VIC, 3400, Australia.
authors.forename: Glenn J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.affiliation: Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre, LPO Box 5012, Bruce ACT, Australia.
authors.forename: Jo E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Luck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D017753:Ecosystem; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000187:drug effects*; D017793:Luteovirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D014908:Triticum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide