Get tough, get toxic or get a bodyguard: how root herbivores shape grass defences. The weight of root-feeding beetles can exceed that of sheep on Australian pastures and can result in significant losses in productivity. Grasses fight back against aboveground herbivores using toughness (physical defence), toxicity (chemical defence) and bodyguards (recruitment of the herbivore’s enemies). Little is known about belowground defences however, but grasses depend on roots for re-growth so good root de ....Get tough, get toxic or get a bodyguard: how root herbivores shape grass defences. The weight of root-feeding beetles can exceed that of sheep on Australian pastures and can result in significant losses in productivity. Grasses fight back against aboveground herbivores using toughness (physical defence), toxicity (chemical defence) and bodyguards (recruitment of the herbivore’s enemies). Little is known about belowground defences however, but grasses depend on roots for re-growth so good root defences seem essential. This study will apply optimal defence theory to consider these three defences against belowground herbivory across a range of grasses. The project will ask whether domestication has disarmed grass species and if defensive traits differ between photosynthetic pathways, before field-testing these patterns with root herbivore populations. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100479
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$453,582.00
Summary
Delivering defences: using fungi to enhance plant resistance to herbivory. This project will identify how the diversity of beneficial fungi in the soil is affected by agricultural management, and will reveal how these fungi govern the ability of plants to defend themselves from insect herbivores. Through innovative field surveys and experimentation, this project will generate new knowledge in the key areas of soil ecology and plant defence. This will allow us to exploit these soil fungi to enhan ....Delivering defences: using fungi to enhance plant resistance to herbivory. This project will identify how the diversity of beneficial fungi in the soil is affected by agricultural management, and will reveal how these fungi govern the ability of plants to defend themselves from insect herbivores. Through innovative field surveys and experimentation, this project will generate new knowledge in the key areas of soil ecology and plant defence. This will allow us to exploit these soil fungi to enhance crop protection while simultaneously conserving soil ecosystems. Effectively boosting plant defence in this way will reduce reliance on ecologically damaging pesticides, promote soil biodiversity, and ensure the sustainability of crop production into the future. Read moreRead less