Field-Testing of Methyl Salicylate for Recruitment and Retention of Beneficial Insects in Grapes and Hops

Abstract

Evidence for recruitment and retention of beneficial insects in grapes and hops using controlled-release dispensers of methyl salicylate (MeSA), a component of herbivore-induced volatile blends, is presented. In a replicated experiment conducted in a juice grape vineyard, sticky cards in blocks baited with MeSA captured significantly greater numbers of five species of predatory insects (Chrysopa nigricornis, Hemerobius sp., Deraeocoris brevis, Stethorus punctum picipes, Orius tristicolor) than unbaited blocks. Four insect families (Syrphidae, Braconidae, Empididae, Sarcophagidae) were also significantly more abundant in the MeSA-baited blocks, as indicated by sticky card captures. Canopy shake samples and sticky card monitoring conducted in a MeSA-baited, unsprayed hop yard indicated development and maintenance of a beneficial arthropod population that was nearly four times greater than that present in an unbaited reference yard. Four times as many S. punctum picipes and six times as many O. tristicolor were sampled in the MeSA yard. Similar contrasts in abundance of these predators and others were apparent when compared with levels recorded in the yard in previous years. The large population of predatory insects in the MeSA-baited hop yard was associated with a dramatic reduction in spider mite numbers, the major arthropod pest of hops, in late June, and subeconomic populations were maintained for the rest of the season. The evidence presented here is highly suggestive that the use of controlled-release MeSA in a crop could increase recruitment and residency of populations of certain beneficial insects. This strategy may have the potential to enhance the efficacy and reliability of conservation biological control in crop pest management.

EAG-Active Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles Modify Behavioral Responses and Host Attack by An Egg Parasitoid

“…Thaler (1999) also reported increases in parasitism of S. exigua on induced plants versus controls. A series of field studies demonstrated that sachets of individual synthetic HIPVs could be used to attract and retain natural enemies in perennial crop systems (James 2003a,b;James and Price 2004;James and Grasswitz 2005). In particular, these studies showed that (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, farnesene, and methyl salicylate could be used to manipulate behavior of beneficial insects under field conditions.…”

“…Exploitation of chemical signaling by plants that attract natural enemies has potential for enhancing biological control in agroecosystems (Hunter 2002). For example, synthetic herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) have been used to attract and retain beneficial insects into vineyards and hopyards (James 2003a(James ,b, 2005, which has led to a reduction in pest densities (James and Price 2004;James and Grasswitz 2005). To date, however, little is known about practical application of HIPVs in cotton agroecosystems.…”

Comparative Study of the Volatiles’ Composition of Healthy and Larvae-Infested Artemisia ordosica

“…The presence of methyl salicylate in our sample is worth mentioning, as this compound has been reported to play an important role in the attraction of herbivore enemies (James and Price, 2004;Zhu and Park, 2005).…”

Exploiting scents of distress: the prospect of manipulating herbivore-induced plant odours to enhance the control of agricultural pests

“…That a general attraction of natural enemies into a field can result in significant reduction of herbivore numbers is also evident from studies in which synthetic attractants that were released from dispensers in crop fields increased the numbers of natural enemies and reduced pest numbers [39]. Methyl salicylate is one of the compounds that seems to be of particular importance in mediating attraction of several natural enemies [4,[39][40][41], some other likely candidates for manipulation are discussed below. Continuous releases might also be the most effective means of repelling herbivores and to prime for plant defences.…”

“…This compound has been shown to induce both direct defence against aphids and the production of the aphid repellent 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, the key attractant for an important aphid parasitoid. Methyl salicylate is another compound that can be expected to play an important role in plant-plant communication, and in repelling herbivores and attracting beneficial arthropods [4,40,41,48]. But overall, there is still a major need to improve our knowledge of what compounds are of key importance [43 ,49,50].…”