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Seed treatment with clothianidin induces changes in plant metabolism and alters pollinator foraging preferences

Klatt, Björn K. LU orcid ; Wurz, Annemarie ; Herbertsson, Lina LU ; Rundlöf, Maj LU orcid ; Svensson, Glenn P. LU ; Kuhn, Jürgen LU ; Vessling, Sofie ; de La Vega, Bernardo ; Tscharntke, Teja and Clough, Yann LU , et al. (2023) In Ecotoxicology 32(10). p.1247-1256
Abstract

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.... (More)

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.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Flower preference, Glucosinolates, Neonicotinoid insecticides, Plant defense metabolism, Plant-pollinator interactions
in
Ecotoxicology
volume
32
issue
10
pages
10 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:38062283
  • scopus:85178904782
ISSN
0963-9292
DOI
10.1007/s10646-023-02720-0
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
25605b24-6258-4c20-b8ab-d01264c0fae8
date added to LUP
2024-01-08 15:23:28
date last changed
2024-04-23 11:00:58
@article{25605b24-6258-4c20-b8ab-d01264c0fae8,
  abstract     = {{<p>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.</p>}},
  author       = {{Klatt, Björn K. and Wurz, Annemarie and Herbertsson, Lina and Rundlöf, Maj and Svensson, Glenn P. and Kuhn, Jürgen and Vessling, Sofie and de La Vega, Bernardo and Tscharntke, Teja and Clough, Yann and Smith, Henrik G.}},
  issn         = {{0963-9292}},
  keywords     = {{Flower preference; Glucosinolates; Neonicotinoid insecticides; Plant defense metabolism; Plant-pollinator interactions}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{1247--1256}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Ecotoxicology}},
  title        = {{Seed treatment with clothianidin induces changes in plant metabolism and alters pollinator foraging preferences}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10646-023-02720-0}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10646-023-02720-0}},
  volume       = {{32}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}