Effects of elevated CO2 on resistant and susceptible rice cultivar and its primary host, brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål)

Abstract

Abstract The elevated CO2 (eCO2) has positive response on plant growth and negative response on insect pests. As a contemplation, the feeding pattern of the brown plant hopper, Nilaparvata lugens Stål on susceptible and resistant rice cultivars and their growth rates exposed to eCO2 conditions were analyzed. The eCO2 treatment showed significant differences in percentage of emergence and rice biomass that were consistent across the rice cultivars, when compared to the ambient conditions. Similarly, increase in carbon and decrese in nitrogen ratio of leaves and alterations in defensive peroxidase enzyme levels were observed, but was non-linear among the cultivars tested. Lower survivorship and nutritional indices of N. lugens were observed in conditions of eCO2 levels over ambient conditions. Results were nonlinear in manner. We conclude that the plant carbon accumulation increased due to eCO2, causing physiological changes that decreased nitrogen content. Similarly, eCO2 increased insect feeding, and did alter other variables such as their biology or reproduction.