Effects of life history, domestication and agronomic selection on plant defence against insects: Evidence from maizes and wild relatives

摘要: Plant domestication and agronomic selection for increased yield may have an associated effect of reducing plant defence against herbivorous insects. This hypothesis is based on evidence a metabolic cost with defence, that increases in generally come from the re-partitioning photoassimilates rather than fundamental photosynthetic rates. We propose plants which crop development constitute strong growth reproduction, reallocation resources result lower examine this by means comparative studies growth, reproduction resistance complex maizes closely related wild taxa, teosintes. The results these are consistent assumptions differential investment between domesticated plants. A perennial grew slowest had lowest grain production, while modern cultivar fastest highest yield. annual land-race were intermediate. Damage diverse assemblage folivorous insects, specialist stemboring lepidopteran larva, fit predictions closely. gradient attack levels suggests most defended, followed descending order annual, high-yielding variety. Alternative hypotheses pattern some, but not all, our data.