Seedling growth and fall armyworm feeding preference influenced by dhurrin production in sorghum

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<p>Genetic mutants coupled with nondestructive phenotyping techniques were used to study the impact of dhurrin on fall armyworm feeding and plant growth in sorghum. A genetic mutation in CYP79A1 that disrupts dhurrin biosynthesis was used to develop sets of near-isogenic lines (NILs) with contrasting dhurrin contents in the Tx623 <em>bmr6</em> genetic background. The NILs were evaluated for differences in plant growth and FAW feeding damage in replicated greenhouse and field trials. Greenhouse studies showed that dhurrin-free Tx623 <em>bmr6</em> <em>cyp79a1</em> plants grew more quickly than wild-type plants but were more susceptible to insect feeding based on changes in green plant area (GPA), total leaf area, and total dry weight over time. The NILs exhibited similar patterns of growth in field trials with significant differences in leaf area and dry weight of dhurrin-free plants between the infested and non-infested treatments. Taken together, these studies reveal a significant metabolic tradeoff between CG biosynthesis and plant growth in sorghum seedlings.</p>

<p>Plant growth and development data from the greenhouse and field trials from this study are available at this site. The files are designated by location and year with locations shown as greenhouse (GH) or field (WL) then the year the study took place. For example, the GH18_insect_data.xlsx includes data from the greenhouse trials in 2018. Within each file there may be multiple sheets that define the type of data collected. Data for green plant area collected with the Aris TopView Phenotyping System, total leaf area, fresh weight, and dry weight are organized by plot, genotype, and insect infestation treatment. Temporal data from the greenhouse trials include time (hours) when measurements was taken, the plant number, and insect infestation treatment. More details of each of the data and R code files are included in the READ_ME file stored on the PURR site.</p>