Reference Report for SoyBase121101409
| Title: | Characterizing the interaction between fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and developing soybean plants |
| Authors: | Shatters, R.G. Jr., Vander Meer, R.K. |
| Source: | J. Econ. Entomol. 2000, 93(6):1680-1687 |
| Abstract: | This research characterizes the interaction between the fire ants Solenopsis invicta and developing soyabean (Glycine max) plants. Phagostimulant studies showed that fire ant foraging on soyabean seeds increased once the seeds imbibed water. During seedling development over a 5-day germination period, fire ant foraging shifted from the stem/cotyledons to the roots, despite continual increases in fresh weights for each region, and the fact that stem/cotyledon tissue contained the majority of food reserves. Carbohydrate analysis showed that although 2-day-old seedlings had higher concentrations of phagostimulant carbohydrates, especially sucrose, than tissues of mature plants, all tissues analysed had enough of these sugars to induce a phagostimulant response. Fire ant association with seeds/seedlings germinated in soil resulted in reduced seedling vigour, as determined by a doubling of seedling emergence time, a three-fold increase in malformed seedlings, and visible damage to cotyledons. Seeds germinated and grown to maturity in association with fire ants, allocated 43% more assimilate into pods, but produced 28% less root dry matter, 11% less total dry matter, and there was an 81% reduction in the number of root nodules compared with control plants. We propose that reduced root development and inhibitions of nodule formation would be major yield limiting factors under field conditions. This work demonstrates that fire ant damage to soyabeans is not limited to seedling establishment and that more research should be directed at the subterranean activities of the fire ant. |
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