Feeding preferences of woodpigeons and flea-beetles for oilseed rape and turnip rape |
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Authors: | P W LAMBDON M HASSALL R MITHEN |
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Institution: | School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK;*John Innes Centre, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK |
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Abstract: | Winter turnip rape Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera was shown to have reduced palatability to woodpigeons, enhanced susceptibility to adult flea beetle feeding and reduced susceptibility to larval flea-beetle infection when compared with winter oilseed rape (B. napus) cultivars in field trials. Levels of leaf waxes were negatively correlated with feeding preferences of adult flea beetles. Analysis of volatiles from damaged leaves showed that while all cultivars produce a similar range of nitriles, cyanoepithioalkanes and isothiocyanates, derived from 3-butenyl, 4-pentenyl and phenylethyl glucosinolates, B. rapa leaves produced relatively high levels of 1-methylpropyl isothiocyanate, although there was significant plant-to-plant variation. The possible involvement of this mustard oil glycoside and variation in epicuticular waxes in plant-herbivore interactions are discussed. |
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Keywords: | Brassica rapa oilseed rape resistance against herbivores woodpigeons Psylliodes chrysocephala leaf waxes leaf volatiles |
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