Differential Responses of the Egg-Larval Parasitoid Chelonus Bifoveolatus To Fall Armyworm-Induced and Constitutive Volatiles of Diverse Maize Genotypes

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a serious invasive crop pest and threat to food security. Conventional pest control approaches using chemical pesticides can lead to adverse environmental and human health problems calling for safer alternative pest management options. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by plants constitutively and in response to herbivory have been shown to enhance ecologically benign biocontrol alternatives to chemical insecticides for pest management. However, genotypic variations in VOC emissions have also been reported for plant species including maize (Zea mays). Hence, a better insight into the variations in odor profiles of different maize varieties and their corresponding role in recruiting pests' natural enemies are crucial for developing a sustainable biocontrol strategy. Our present study assessed the behavioral responses of the FAW egg-larval parasitoid, Chelonus bifoveolatus (Braconidae: Hymenoptera), to constitutive and induced volatiles from different maize landraces (Jowi Red, Nyamula) and hybrids (SC Duma, DK 777) grown in Kenya and compared their volatile profiles. In a four-arm olfactometer, female parasitoid wasps were significantly attracted to FAW oviposition-induced VOCs from SC Duma and Nyamula. Chemical analysis of test plant volatiles revealed significant variation in the quantity and quality of key bioactive VOCs such as (E)-2-hexenal, α-pinene, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, α-copaene, (E)-β-farnesene and (E, E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene. Our findings provide more insights into genetic variation in VOCs emission across maize genotypes and the corresponding differences in attraction of pest natural enemies that provide indirect defense. As such, these traits could be exploited to enhance ecologically sustainable pest management strategies.