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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Simple Summary

Hybrid rice often has higher yields than comparable inbred varieties. However, hybrids are sometimes more susceptible to insect herbivores. Outbreeding can improve herbivore resistance in hybrids compared to one (a condition called heterosis) or both (called heterobeltiosis) of their parental lines. The frequency of heterosis for resistance has not been assessed under varying soil nitrogen conditions. Nitrogen is predicted to reduce a plant’s ability to resist herbivores but increases its ability to compensate for damage, known as tolerance. We examined the resistance and tolerance of eight hybrids and their parental lines to herbivores by exposing plants to the brown planthopper, whitebacked planthopper or yellow stemborer and observing herbivore fitness responses (i.e., resistance) and herbivore-induced changes to plant biomass (i.e., tolerance). There were no consistent trends in relative resistance or tolerance to the herbivores across plant types; however, improved resistance and tolerance were frequently associated with the male parent. Nitrogen reduced resistance and generally increased tolerance to herbivores irrespective of plant type. Across the eight hybrids, relative resistance and relative tolerance were not determined by heterosis or heterobeltiosis. Our results highlight the difficulties in predicting the outcomes of crossing to achieve relatively resistant hybrids.

Abstract

Hybrid rice results from crossing a male-sterile line (the A line) with a pollen doner (the restorer or R line). In 3-line hybrid breeding systems, a fertile B line is also required to maintain A line populations. Heterosis is defined as a condition of traits whereby the hybrid exceeds the average of the parental lines. Heterobeltiosis is where the hybrid exceeds both parents. Hybrid rice may display heterosis/heterobeltiosis for growth, yield and resistance to herbivores, among other traits. In a greenhouse experiment, we assessed the frequency of heterosis for resistance to the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugans (BPH)), whitebacked planthopper (Sogatella furcifera (WBPH)) and yellow stemborer (Scirpophaga incertulas (YSB)) in eight hybrids under varying soil nitrogen conditions. We also assessed plant biomass losses due to herbivore feeding as an approximation of tolerance (the plant’s capacity to compensate for damage). Nitrogen reduced resistance to all three herbivores but was also associated with tolerance to WBPH and YSB based on improved plant survival, growth and/or yields. Plant biomass losses per unit weight of WBPH also declined under high nitrogen conditions for a number of hybrids, and there were several cases of overcompensation in rice for attacks by this herbivore. There was one case of nitrogen-related tolerance to BPH (increased grain yield) for a hybrid line with relatively high resistance, likely due to quantitative traits. Heterosis and heterobeltiosis were not essential to produce relatively high herbivore resistance or tolerance across hybrids.

Details

Title
Heterosis for Interactions between Insect Herbivores and 3-Line Hybrid Rice under Low and High Soil Nitrogen Conditions
Author
Horgan, Finbarr G 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Bernal, Carmencita C 2 ; Angelee Fame Ramal 3 ; Maria Liberty P Almazan 2 ; Mundaca, Enrique A 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Crisol-Martínez, Eduardo 5 

 EcoLaVerna Integral Restoration Ecology, Bridestown, Kildinan, Co., T56 P499 Cork, Ireland; School of Agronomy, Faculty of Agrarian and Forestry Sciences, Catholic University of Maule, Casilla 7-D, Curicó 3349001, Chile; Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention, University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK 
 International Rice Research Institute, Makati 1226, Philippines 
 School of Environmental Science and Management, University of the Philippines, Los Baños 4030, Philippines 
 School of Agronomy, Faculty of Agrarian and Forestry Sciences, Catholic University of Maule, Casilla 7-D, Curicó 3349001, Chile 
 EcoLaVerna Integral Restoration Ecology, Bridestown, Kildinan, Co., T56 P499 Cork, Ireland; Association of Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Almeria (COEXPHAL), Carretera de Ronda 11, 04004 Almeria, Spain; Department of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science, University College Cork, Butler Building, Distillery Fields, North Mall, T23 N73K Cork, Ireland 
First page
416
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20754450
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3072344149
Copyright
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.