Herbivory resistance to generalist feeder Trichoplusia ni of faba bean (Vicia faba) exposed to salinity stress
| dc.contributor.author | Lavallée-Shrupka, Caleb | |
| dc.contributor.examiningcommittee | John Markham (Biological Sciences) | |
| dc.contributor.examiningcommittee | Kevin Fraser (Biological Sciences) | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Renault, Sylvie | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Avila-Sakar, German | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-05-27T16:16:31Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-05-27T16:16:31Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-03 | |
| dc.date.submitted | 2025-05-27T16:16:31Z | en_US |
| dc.degree.discipline | Biological Sciences | |
| dc.degree.level | Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) | |
| dc.description.abstract | Plants are often exposed to multiple stress factors simultaneously. Exposure to one stress can exacerbate or mitigate the response to a subsequent stress. While salinity and herbivory can impair growth and physiological function individually, their combined effects remain poorly understood. To investigate this interaction and determine if salt tolerance influences resistance to herbivory, Vicia faba (cv. Broad Windsor) plants were grown under salinity (0, 50, 75, 100 mM NaCl) and exposed to cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) herbivory. Gas exchange parameters (photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration) were not significantly affected by salinity after 11 days of treatment. After 20 days, salinity did not affect plant height, stem biomass or water content of most tissues but significantly reduced root and lateral leaf biomass. Total phenolic compounds and total soluble proteins in the leaves were also unchanged. Elemental analysis revealed that salinity significantly increased Na and Cl concentrations in all three tissue types (leaves, stems, and roots), with the highest accumulation in roots. Salinity significantly increased the concentrations of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Mo) in the leaves, suggesting efficient nutrient retention in photosynthetically active tissues. Constitutive resistance to herbivory was not significantly affected by salinity. However, induced resistance was significantly impaired in salt-treated plants. Together, these findings indicate that V. faba exhibits moderate tolerance to salinity, maintaining gas exchange and nutrient homeostasis under salt stress while minimizing growth impairments. The compromised induced resistance highlights the vulnerability of inducible defenses and suggests that salinity may force a tradeoff between preserving physiological function and sustaining inducible defences against herbivory. These results emphasize the importance of considering stress interactions when evaluating plant defence. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | NSERC | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1993/39093 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.subject | Vicia faba | |
| dc.subject | faba bean | |
| dc.subject | Trichoplusia ni | |
| dc.subject | cabbage looper | |
| dc.subject | herbivory | |
| dc.subject | salinity | |
| dc.subject | plant defense | |
| dc.subject | stress interactions | |
| dc.title | Herbivory resistance to generalist feeder Trichoplusia ni of faba bean (Vicia faba) exposed to salinity stress | |
| local.author.affiliation | Faculty of Science::Department of Biological Sciences | |
| project.funder.identifier | https://doi.org/10.13039/100010318 | |
| project.funder.name | University of Manitoba |