The Effects of Salinity and Activated Charcoal on the Herbivory of Arabidopsis thaliana by Myzus persicae

Authors

  • Sommer Chou McMaster University
  • Alexi Doan McMaster University
  • Helena Koniar McMaster University
  • Bryce Norman McMaster University

Keywords:

Arabidopsis thaliana, Myzus persicae, phloem feeding insects, activated charcoal, road salt, plant-herbivore interactions, plant stress

Abstract

Road salt is commonly applied in the winter and inevitably percolates into surrounding areas where it is absorbed by plants. The detrimental effects of salinity on plants has been studied extensively, with recent research papers investigating potential mitigative methods, including the application of biochar. Building upon previous findings, this study serves to explore the use of activated carbon, charcoal with increased adsorptive ability, as a remediation technique for salt stress. Using Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) and Myzus persicae (green peach aphids) as our model organisms, the aim was to determine the individual and combined effects of salinity and activated charcoal on plant performance and aphid populations using a factorial design. The overall findings presented a statistically significant effect (p=0.0201) on M. persicae herbivory between 25 mM salt and activated charcoal treatment groups. Although changes in plant biomass were not observed, there were a greater number of aphids occupying the plants without activated charcoal than on plants with activated charcoal for 25 mM salt treatments. Therefore, activated charcoal presents the opportunity for an accessible method of treatment for salt-stressed plants.

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Published

2017-08-04