Temperature influences the expression of resistance of soybean (Glycine max) to the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines)

Abstract

Resistance of plants to arthropods may be lost at low or high temperatures. I tested whether the relative resistance of five genotypes of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., to three isolates of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, was influenced by three temperatures, 14, 21 and 28°C, in no-choice tests in the laboratory. The interaction between temperature and the genotype of soybean influenced the population sizes of two isolates of A. glycines. Two genotypes of soybean, LD05-16611 and PI 567597C, which usually are resistant to isolate 1 and 3, became susceptible: LD05-16611 at the low temperature and PI 567597C at the high temperature. The genotypes PI 200538 and PI 567541B usually are susceptible to isolate 3 but were resistant at 21 and 28°C. I can only speculate as to the reason why temperature influences resistance of some genotypes of soybean to A. glycines: A. glycines may be directly influenced by temperature or indirectly influenced by changes in the host plant. Nevertheless, my results suggest that temperature may be one factor that influences the expression of resistance of soybean to A. glycines, so genotypes of soybean should be screened for resistance to the aphid at multiple temperatures. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag, GmbH.