Black bean aphid populations and chlorophyll composition changes as responses of guelder rose to aphid infestation stress conditions

Abstract

Aphis fabae Scop. is phloem-feeding insect that cause substantial damage to horticulare and agriculture worldwide due to feeding – related damage and the transmission of economically important plant viruses. These aphids cause a detrimental effects in attacked organs, like depletion of photoassimilates. Insect feeding can among others reduced chlorophyll catabolism. In the present investigations we determined the chlorophyll a and b levels (SPAD readings) in uninfested leaves and in Aphis fabae-infested leaves of Viburnum opulus shrubs, wild plants and garden variety, which were grown in green areas around Siedlce, east central Poland. Feeding by A. fabae affected chlorophyll a + b level. The insect feeding reduces the concentration of photosynthetic pigment in the infested shrubs. The level of chlorophyll in plants occupied by aphids was clearly lower than the level in plants where aphids were not found. We also found that chlorophyll levels increased with the progress of growing season, the level of chlorophyll differed between date of survey, being higher for the latest survey (mid-June) and that the place where the plant is located is important, wild V. opulus have slightly more level of chlorophyll compared to garden ones. Chlorophyll level might be useful as an indicator of plant responses to aphid damage.