Automated video tracking of thrips behavior to assess host-plant resistance in multiple parallel two-choice setups

Abstract

BackgroundPiercing-sucking insects cause severe damage in crops. Breeding for host-plant resistance can significantly reduce the yield losses caused by these insects, but host-plant resistance is a complex trait that is difficult to phenotype quickly and reliably. Current phenotyping methods mainly focus on labor-intensive and time-consuming end-point measurements of plant fitness. Characterizing insect behavior as a proxy for host-plant resistance could be a promising time-saving alternative to end-point measurements.ResultsWe present a phenotyping platform that allows screening for host-plant resistance against Western flower thrips (WFT, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)) in a parallel two-choice setup using automated video tracking of thrips behavior. The platform was used to establish host-plant preference of WFT with a large plant population of 345 wild Arabidopsis accessions and the method was optimized with two extreme accessions from this population that differed in resistance towards WFT. To this end, the behavior of 88 WFT individuals was simultaneously tracked in 88 parallel two-choice arenas during 8 h. Host-plant preference of WFT was established both by the time thrips spent on either accession and various behavioral parameters related to movement (searching) and non-movement (feeding) events.ConclusionIn comparison to 6-day end-point choice assays with whole plants or detached leaves, the automated video-tracking choice assay developed here delivered similar results, but with higher time- and resource efficiency. This method can therefore be a reliable and effective high throughput phenotyping tool to assess host-plant resistance to thrips in large plant populations.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13007-016-0102-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Integrated pest management in western flower thrips: past, present and future

“…Screening large numbers of plants for identification of resistance sources is vital for resistance breeding programmes . Recently, a high‐throughput phenotyping method has been described that uses automated video tracking of WFT behaviour . However, a reproducible high‐throughput method assessing thrips damage is still lacking.…”

“…118 Recently, a high-throughput phenotyping method has been described that uses automated video tracking of WFT behaviour. 119 However, a reproducible high-throughput method assessing thrips damage is still lacking. Similarly, HTS systems testing for active metabolites against WFT deriving from plants or microbials are absent.…”

Modification of chrysanthemum odour and taste with chrysanthemol synthase induces strong dual resistance against cotton aphids

“…The dual-choice assay with pure chrysanthemol glycoside was carried out using automated video tracking system as described (Thoen et al, 2016). We dissolved the chrysanthemol glycoside in 25% sugar water at the same concentration (434 lg/mL, 1.08 mM) which in transgenic chrysanthemum and further prepared a series of dilutions (217, 108.5, 54.25, 0 lg/mL).…”

Resistance to three thrips species in Capsicum spp. depends on site conditions and geographic regions

“…Although leaf disc screening methods are widely accepted and used for pest resistance screening (van Rijn, Mollema, & Steenhuis-Broers, 1995;Thoen et al, 2016) and Maharijaya et al (2011) convincingly showed the correlation between the detached leaf assay, leaf discs and whole plant damage, the question remains whether screening approaches using leaf discs reliably predicts resistance at the whole plant level for our set of Capsicum accessions.…”