Effect of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria on aphids reproduction and feeding behaviour

Some soil bacteria belonging to the Bacillus and Pseudomonas genera are particularly efficient biocontrol agents as Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) by showing strong antagonistic activity toward plant pathogens and inducing systemic resistance (ISR). Beside plant pathogen microbial agents, phytophagous insects should also be impacted by ISR in host plants. Particularly, aphids are considered as herbivore models closed to fungal and bacterial plant pathogens when comparing host plant induced defense mechanisms after aphid attacks. Then, PGPR could play a primary role in interspecific interactions related to plants and aphids including changes in aphid behaviour. This poster shows the preliminary results of our work on interactions between PGPR, host plant and aphids. Among them, we can highlight the induction of phytohormones by PGPR application and the resulting changes in reproduction and feeding behavior of aphids. It seems that secundary endosymbionts play a preponderant role in aphid’s tolerance of elicitated plants. More researches are in progress, based on these trends. Further works will focus on the volatile organic compounds potentially involved in that response and their actual impact on host plant selection by aphids.