Life history of the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (Homoptera: Aphididae), on transgenic and untransformed wheat challenged with barley yellow dwarf virus.

The life history of Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) was monitored on transgenic and untransformed (soft white winter wheat plants that were infected with Barley yellow dwarf virus (BLDV), noninfected, or challenged with virus-free aphids under laboratory conditions. Two transgenic soft white winter wheat genotypes (103.1J and 126.02) derived from the parental variety Lambert and expressing the barley yellow dwarf virus coat protein gene, and two untransformed varieties, virus-susceptible Lambert and virus-tolerant Caldwell, were tested. B. padi nymphal development was significantly longer on the transgenic genotypes infected with BYDV, compared with noninfected transgenic plants. In contrast, nymphal development on Lambert was significantly shorter on BYDV-infected than on noninfected plants. Nymphal development on noninfected Lambert was significantly longer than on noninfected transgenics. No significant difference in nymphal development period was detected between virus-infected and noninfected Caldwell. Aphid total fecundity, length of reproductive period, and intrinsic rate of increase were significantly reduced on BYDV-infected transgenic plants compared with BYDV-infected Lambert. In contrast, reproductive period, total adult fecundity, and intrinsic rate of increase on noninfected Lambert were significantly reduced compared with noninfected transgenics. Transgenic plants infected with BYDV were inferior hosts for R. padi compared with infected Lambert. However, noninfected transgenics were superior hosts for aphids than noninfected Lambert. Moderate resistance to BYDV, as indicated by a significantly lower virus titer, was detected in the transgenic genotypes compared with the untransformed ones. Results show for the first time that transgenic virus resistance in wheat can indirectly influence R. padi life history.