Progress 06/01/01 to 05/31/06
Outputs
Progress Report 4d Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and the Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the inhouse associated project 6615-22430-002-00D, Chemistry and Biochemistry of Insect Behavior, Physiology, and Ecology. Pepper and peanut plants respond to attack by bacterial and fungal pathogens by releasing blends of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Different species and even different strains of the same species of pathogens induce plants to release a distinct and unique "signature" blend of compounds. Thus, the signature blend of compounds released by a diseased plant can be used to detect infected plants and determine the type of infecting organism. Further, it has been shown that corn plants detect and respond to VOC, released by neighboring plants attacked by herbivores and other organisms, by
priming their chemical defenses. It has been determined that specific genes in the jasmonate signaling cascade within the plant are differentially expressed in response to VOC, mechanical wounding, and elicitors from attacking herbivores. The ultimate goal is to enhance the natural "immunity" of plants against insect and pathogen attack.
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
4d Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a Specific Cooperative Agreement between ARS and the University of Florida. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the inhouse associated project 6615-22430-002-00D, Chemistry and Biochemistry of Insect Behavior, Physiology, and Ecology. Monitoring insects in a commercial flour mill, in cooperation with scientists at the Grain Marketing and Production Research Center, Manhattan, KS, continued. Arrays of eleven traps, one on each floor of the mill, have provided relative estimates of stored-product insect populations, including the Indianmeal moth (Plodia interpunctella), the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum), and the warehouse beetle (Trogoderma variabile). Trapping has now extended over a period of 30 months and is continuing. During this period there have been six fumigations with either methyl bromide or sulfuryl fluoride. Spatial and temporal analyses of trap
catch have proven useful in visualizing population rebound following fumigation and in locating trouble spots (areas that contribute most to rebound). Temporal plots of mean trap catch versus elapsed time after fumigation are being used to examine rates of rebound on each floor, and contour maps of trap catch are being used to identify the major areas contributing to rebound. Together these analyses will be used to examine the causes of rebound and to determine what measures can be applied to mitigate the problem. Data analysis is still in progress. The information gained in this project will be used by food processors, warehouse managers, and scientists to select effective pest management protocols that will minimize risks to human health and the environment.
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
4. What were the most significant accomplishments this past year? This report serves to document research conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and the Entomology Department, Pennsylvania State University (PSU). Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent CRIS 6615-22430-001-00D. Single most important accomplishment of FY 04. Elicitors of plant defensive signals were identified from oral secretions of the American locust. These chemicals comprise a new class of plant volatile elicitors and extend our knowledge of the mechanisms employed by plants to defend against insect herbivory. The research conducted by scientists at CMAVE in collaboration with scientists at PSU should lead to elucidation of methods to enhance the expression of plant defensive genes in response to insect attack.
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