Further evidence that resistance in raspberry to the virus vector aphid, Amphorophora idaei, is related to the chemical composition of the leaf surface

In an approach to understand the mechanism(s) of resistance in raspberry to infestation by the aphid Amphorophora idaei, progeny plants segregating for the A. idaei resistance gene, A₁₀, were bioassayed and dichloromethane extracts from the leaf surface were examined by capillary column gas chromatography (GC). No single GC peak was detected that was present in only the resistant progeny plants. Nevertheless, thirteen compounds present in all samples were quantified and identified by mass spectrometry. They were of four major classes; straight chain hydrocarbons, acetic acid esters of long chain alcohols, tocopherols and triterpenoid compounds, including α and β amyrin. Several of these compounds were not recorded previously in raspberry leaves. Linear discriminant analysis, applied to the standardised chromatographic data in an attempt to relate chemical composition to resistance, successfully partitioned 24 of the 26 plants into resistant and susceptible types as determined by bioassay. These data provide further evidence that resistance in raspberry to A. idaei is related to the chemical composition of the leaf surface.