Seed treatment with clothianidin induces changes in plant metabolism and alters pollinator foraging preferencesShow others and affiliations
2023 (English)In: Ecotoxicology, ISSN 0963-9292, E-ISSN 1573-3017, Vol. 32, no 10, p. 1247-1256Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Neonicotinoids, systemic insecticides that are distributed into all plant tissues and protect against pests, have become a common part of crop production, but can unintentionally also affect non-target organisms, including pollinators. Such effects can be direct effects from insecticide exposure, but neonicotinoids can affect plant physiology, and effects could therefore also be indirectly mediated by changes in plant phenology, attractiveness and nutritional value. Under controlled greenhouse conditions, we tested if seed treatment with the neonicotinoid clothianidin affected oilseed rape’s production of flower resources for bees and the content of the secondary plant products glucosinolates that provide defense against herbivores. Additionally, we tested if seed treatment affected the attractiveness of oilseed rape to flower visiting bumblebees, using outdoor mesocosms. Flowers and leaves of clothianidin-treated plants had different profiles of glucosinolates compared with untreated plants. Bumblebees in mesocosms foraged slightly more on untreated plants. Neither flower timing, flower size nor the production of pollen and nectar differed between treatments, and therefore cannot explain any preference for untreated oilseed rape. We instead propose that this small but significant preference for untreated plants was related to the altered glucosinolate profile caused by clothianidin. Thereby, this study contributes to the understanding of the complex relationships between neonicotinoid-treated crops and pollinator foraging choices, by suggesting a potential mechanistic link by which insecticide treatment can affect insect behavior.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
New York, NY: Springer, 2023. Vol. 32, no 10, p. 1247-1256
Keywords [en]
Neonicotinoid insecticides, Plant-pollinator interactions, Flower preference, Plant defense metabolism, Glucosinolates
National Category
Ecology Agricultural Science Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-52198DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02720-0ISI: 001117090000001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85178904782OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-52198DiVA, id: diva2:1818018
Projects
Evaluation and balance of combined effects from insecticides and climate change on bees and pollination
Funder
Lund UniversitySwedish Research Council Formas, 2016-00632
Note
Funding was provided by the Royal Physiographic Society in Lund and The Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development FORMAS (grant 2016-00632). Annemarie Wurz was supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) within the PROMOS initiative. BdLV was funded by the Science without Borders program at Lund University, sponsored by the Capes Foundation within the Ministry of Education, Brazil. Open access funding provided by Lund University.
2023-12-082023-12-082024-01-17Bibliographically approved