Effects of Fertilization on Insect Resistance of Woody Ornamental Plants: Reassessing an Entrenched Paradigm

By D. Herms. 2002

156 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract Woody plants are commonly fertilized in ornamental landscapes, based in part on the rationale that fertilization enhances pest resistance. However, a critical evaluation of evidence finds little to support this claim. Rather, many studies have found that fertilization decreased woody plant resistance to spider mites, sap sucking insects, mandibulate folivores, subcortical feeding insects, and browsing mammals by enhancing the nutritional quality of the plant and/or decreasing secondary metabolite concentrations. The growth/differentiation balance hypothesis (GDBH) postulates a physiological trade-off between growth and secondary metabolism, and predicts a parabolic response of secondary metabolism to variation in nutrient availability. Specifically, fertilization of moderately nutrient-deficient plants is predicted to decrease secondary metabolism if growth is increased but photosynthesis is not affected. However, fertilization of extremely nutrient-limited plants is predicted to increase secondary metabolism if photosynthesis is also increased. A number of studies have found fertilization to increase growth and decrease secondary metabolism. A few studies on extremely nutrient-deficient sites found fertilization to increase foliar secondary metabolism, but insect performance was not affected, possibly because increased foliar nitrogen counteracted effects of secondary metabolites on host quality. These studies, while consistent with the GDBH, do not represent adequate tests because none measured effects of fertilization on photosynthesis as well as growth. Only a few studies have addressed effects of fertilization on the ability of woody plants to tolerate herbivory, and all found fertilization to have no effect. The entrenched paradigm that fertilization enhances the insect resistance of woody plants in ornamental landscapes needs to be reassessed.

Subfields: Ecology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Insect Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/a3b47be02fd108b039e656d51ca639341dcb9970

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Citations in the corpus

The influences of forest stand management on biotic and abiotic risks of damage (2009, background): “…fertilization of nutrient-limited plants is predicted to increase the synthesis of secondary chemicals like terpenic and phenolic compounds that are toxic for many pest insects and fungal pathogens (Herms, 2002) which would explain the negative effects of fertilization on some pests and pathogens.”
Compensatory Feeding in Danaus plexippus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Response to Variation in Host Plant Quality (2004, background): “…effect may be offset by another effect of nitrogen on plant secondary metabolism; as plants receive more nitrogen, the increased growth promoted by this nutrient can decrease the amount of carbon available for secondary metabolism (Mattson 1980, Herms and Mattson 1992, Herms 2002).”
Suppression of two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), mealy bug (Pseudococcus sp) and aphid (Myzus persicae) populations and damage by vermicomposts (2007, background): “Some workers have suggested that inorganic N fertilization may decrease plant resistance to insects, by improving the nutritional quality and palatability of the host plants, and inhibiting the build up of secondary metabolite concentrations (Fragoyiannis et al., 2001; Herms, 2002).”
Urbanization Shapes the Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Arthropod Herbivore Interactions (2019, background): “For instance, some woody plants exposed to increased nutrient availability benefit urban herbivores including mites, scales, and adelgids (Herms, 2002).”
Suppression of tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) and cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittatum and Diabotrica undecimpunctata) populations and damage by vermicomposts (2006, background): “…N fertilization may decrease plant resistance to insects and increase pest attacked by improving the nutritional quality of the host plants and inhibiting the build up of concentrations of secondary metabolites, which are a source of pest resistance (Fragoyiannis et al., 2001; Herms, 2002).”