Impact of climate change on plant-aphid interactions

Abstract

As concluded by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC), the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration is predicted to double in the next decades. In addition, the mean surface temperature will rise by two degrees and the rain events will be less frequent. The impact of climate change is mainly investigated at Earth and ecosystems scale, with fewer studies conducted on trophic interactions. By assessing the population dynamics of the English grain aphid, S. avenae, on wheat in large chambers (ECOTRON, Terra, ULiege), we found that the aphids infestation levels will likely be lower in 2094 compared to 2015. We also found that elevation in temperature and CO2 will impact negatively aphid life history traits such as their fitness, size and weight. Host plant selection by apterous parthenogenic females is not affected by an elevation in temperature and CO2 concentration even if the volatile profile of winter wheat is affected by those increases. In the future, aphids will migrate at an earlier phenological stage of winter wheat which may lead to a greater impact on yield. As aphids will be noticed earlier on wheat ears, it may help farmers to better manage their crops.