Glucosinolate Induction and Resistance to the Cabbage Moth, <i>Mamestra brassicae</i>, Differs among Kale Genotypes with High and Low Content of Sinigrin and Glucobrassicin

• Main Authors: Francisco Rubén Badenes-Pérez, María Elena Cartea
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Plants
• Subjects: <i>Brassica oleracea</i> var. <i>acephala</i>; glucosinolates; herbivory; host-plant resistance; jasmonic acid; salicylic acid
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/9/1951

The cabbage moth, <i>Mamestra brassicae</i> L. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a generalist insect pest of cruciferous crops. We tested glucosinolate induction by jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA), and by these phytohormones combined with feeding by <i>M. brassicae</i> larvae in four genotypes of kale, <i>Brassica oleracea</i> L. var. <i>acephala</i> (Brassicaceae). The genotypes tested had high glucobrassicin (genotype HGBS), low glucobrassicin (genotype LGBS), high sinigrin (genotype HSIN), and low sinigrin content (genotype LSIN). Application of JA increased indolic and total glucosinolate content in all kale genotypes 1, 3, and 9 days after treatment. For SA-treated plants, glucosinolate induction varied depending on the number of days after treatment and the genotype. Overall, herbivory by <i>M. brassicae</i> accentuated and attenuated the effects of JA and SA, respectively, on plant glucosinolate content. Larvae of <i>M. brassicae</i> gained less weight on leaves from plants treated with JA compared to leaves from control plants and plants treated with SA. In bioassays with leaf discs, a significant reduction of defoliation only occurred in JA-treated plants of the HSIN genotype. This research shows that previous herbivory alters the susceptibility of kale to <i>M. brassicae</i> and that induction of glucosinolates varies among kale genotypes differing in their glucosinolate content.