Water stress and insect herbivory interactively reduce crop yield while the insect pollination benefit is conserved

Climate change is predicted to hamper crop production due to precipitation deficits and warmer temperatures inducing both water stress and increasing herbivory due to more abundant insect pests. Consequently, crop yields will be impacted simultaneously by abiotic and biotic stressors. Extensive yield losses due to such climate change stressors might, however, be mitigated by ecosystem services such as insect pollination. We examined the single and combined effects of water stress, insect herbivory and insect pollination on faba bean yield components and above- and belowground plant biomass under realistic field conditions. We used rainout shelters to simulate a scenario in line with climate change projections, with adequate water supply at sowing followed by a long period without precipitation. This induced a gradually increasing water stress, culminating around crop flowering and yield formation. We found that gradually increasing water stress combined with insect herbivory by aphids i...据预测，气候变化将对作物生产造成阻碍：降水短缺与气温升高不仅会引发水分胁迫，还会因害虫种群数量增多而加剧植食性昆虫为害。由此，作物产量将同时受到非生物胁迫与生物胁迫因子的双重影响。不过，诸如昆虫传粉这类生态系统服务，或可缓解此类气候变化胁迫因子引发的大规模产量损失。本研究在真实田间条件下，探究了水分胁迫、昆虫植食为害与昆虫传粉的单独及联合效应对蚕豆（faba bean）产量构成要素以及地上、地下植物生物量的影响。我们采用避雨棚（rainout shelters）模拟符合气候变化预测情景的试验场景：播种阶段供水充足，随后设置长时间无降水的处理，以此逐步加剧水分胁迫，使其在作物开花与产量形成关键期达到胁迫峰值。研究发现，逐步加剧的水分胁迫与蚜虫（aphids）引发的昆虫植食为害联合作用时……