Costs of extreme apple domestication and the value of old cultivars under

global climate change

Martín Alujamartin.aluja@inecol.edu.mx

Instituto de Ecología, A.C.Xalapa, Veracruz, México

This talk is dedicated to the late Jörg Samietz who unexpectedly

died last year doing what he liked most: research

Andrea Birke

Daniel Baumgarden

Eva Arrigoni

Jörg Samietz

Larissa Guillén

Maria Ceyman

Carlos Pascacio

• Campaña Nacional Contra Moscas de la Fruta (DGSV – SAGARPA – IICA) – José Manuel & Jesús Reyes

• Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT)

Thank you!

• Research Station Agroscope Changins Wädenswil (ACW), Wädenswil, Switzerland

Plant and animal domestication is the most important development in the past 13,000

years of human history

Jared Diamond, 2002

Plant Domestication Process

Affecting the composition of plant secondary metabolites (PSM), which mediate some ecological interactions between plants and other organisms

Human preferences

Climate Change

Increased vulnerability of plants to the attack of pests and diseases

Cultivated plants will face new scenarios in near future

Benefits/Costs of apple domestication process

More palatable Visually attractive Larger Higher yield/tree

Benefits Disadvantages

Fewer antioxidants (e.g., phenolic compounds)

Lower disease resistance Lower pest resistant

Apple scap Fruit flyattack

Intake of high (poly)phenol-rich food benefits human health

• Reduction in chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and cancer.

• Antioxidant activity reduce cellular senescence.

• Antimicrobial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory activity.

Climate Change

Global warmingCO2

Precipitation patterns

Expansion of invasive species into an area not previously occupied by it (Booth et al., 2003), caused by both human-assisted introductions and natural range expansions (Carlton, 2001).

Global warming

Plant response to CO2 increase

Increase in C/N balance

Changes in plant secondary metabolites (PSM’s) in plants

Competition between insect species and plant compensation

responses to insect herbivory

C-based PSM’s (e.g., tannins and phenolics) will be favoured over N-based PSM’s (e.g., alkaloids,

cyanogenics glycosides)

(Raza et al. 2014)

N

tannins

alkaloids

Objetives

To investigate the susceptibility of 12 apple cultivars (Malus domestica) to the attack ofthe Mexican Fruit Fy (Anastrepha ludens), a potential invader in Europe under a global warming scenario.

To determine if there are any metabolic and physiological costs for the Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) when infesting apples.

To determine if there is any correlation between polyphenol content in apple cultivars and Mexican Fruit Fly infestation level as an indirect measure of environmental resilience to a potential invader.

The genus Malus contains ca. 25-30 species and several sub-species called crab apples. Central

Asia is the area of greatest diversity and the center of origin

Crab apples

Cultivated apples

There are more tan 4,200 tephritid fruit fly species all over the world, and less than 1% are

considered of economic importance

Anastrepha ludens is considered a polyphagous species, which by definition is an insect that

infests/attacks plants/fruits belonging to more than one plant family

Slurp!

Casimiroa greggii S. Watson

(Rutaceae)

Ancestral Hosts

Casimiroa edulis Llave & Lex. (Rutaceae)

Exotic Hosts

Capsicum pubescens (Solanaceae)

Diospyros kaki (Ebenaceae)

Prunus persica & Malus domestica

(Rosaceae)

Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae)

Citrus aurantium

(Rutaceae)

Citrus paradisi (Rutaceae)

12 Malus domestica Cultivars + Citrus paradisi

IDARED

BRAEBURNFUJI

DIWA ELSTARGOLDEN

SCHNEIDER-APFEL

ENGISHOFER

BOHNAPFELGRAUER HORDAPFEL

GALATOPAZ

GRAPEFRUIT

Cultivar

Num

ber o

f pup

ae p

er

frui

t (m

ean

+SE

)To

tal n

umbe

r of

pupa

e in

25

frui

t

Fruit infestation rate of different Malus domestica Cultivars+ Citrus paradisi by Anastrepha ludens

0

200

400

600

800

1000

Engishofer

Grauer Hord

apfel

Bohnhapfel

Schneiderapfel

Fuji

Idared

BraeburnElst

arTo

pazDiw

aGala

Golden

Grapefruit

0

10

20

30

40

50

Engishofer

Grauer Hord

apfel

Bohnhapfel

Schneiderapfel

Fuji

Idared

BraeburnElst

arTo

pazDiw

aGala

Golden

Grapefruit

Reemplazar con pupas decentes

a

b

F = 29.618, df = 12, p < 0.001

mg

/100

g F

M

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Engishofe

r

Grauer

Hord

apfe

l

Bohnapfe

l

Schnei

derap

fel

Fuji

Idar

ed

Braeb

urn

Elsta

r

Topaz

Diwa

Gala

Golden

Catechin

Epicatechin

Procyanidin B1

Procyanidin B2

Chlorogenic acid

p-Coumaroylquinic acid

Phloridzin

Phloretin-Xyloglucoside

Quercetin-Galactoside/glucoside

Rutin

Quercetin-Rhamnoside

Cultivar

Nu

mb

er o

f p

up

ae p

er

fru

it (

mea

n

+S

E)

0

10

20

30

40

50

Engishofer

Grauer Hord

apfel

Bohnhapfel

Schneiderapfel

Fuji

Idared

BraeburnElst

arTo

pazDiw

aGala

Golden

Grapefruit

a

bF = 29.618, df = 12, p < 0.001

Cultivar

Pupal weight of Anastrepha ludens reared in different Malus domestica Cultivars + Citrus paradisi

Total number of weighed pupae =

5,367

Nu

mb

er o

f p

up

ae p

er

fru

it (

mea

n

+S

E)

0

10

20

30

40

50

Engishofer

Grauer Hord

apfel

Bohnhapfel

Schneiderapfel

Fuji

Idared

BraeburnElst

arTo

pazDiw

aGala

Golden

Grapefruit

a

bF = 29.618, df = 12, p < 0.001

Pu

pa

l w

eig

ht

in

mil

lig

ram

s(m

ean

+

SE

)

F = 360.282, df = 10, p < 0.001

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Schnei

derap

fel

Bohnapfe

l

Braeb

urn

Idar

edFuji

Elsta

rGal

a

Topaz

Golden

Diwa

Grapef

ruit

f

a bd

cd e

abb,c,d b

Development time in days (mean +SE)

Egg to pupa development time of Anastrepha ludens reared in different Malus domestica cultivars + Citrus paradisi

Day when the first pupa was registered

54

36

38

26

21

30

20

23

19

40

40

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Grapefruit

Golden

Topaz

Elstar

Diwa

Gala

Idared

Braeburn

Bohnapfel

Fuji

Schneiderapfel

F = 699.35, df =10, p < 0.001

PO concentration in Anastrepha ludens pupae reared in different Malus domestica cultivars + Citrus paradisi

PO

co

nc

entr

atio

n i

n n

g

(me

an

+S

E)

F = 2.365, df = 10, p = 0.015

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

Idar

ed

a

Grapef

ruit

b

Elsta

r

b

Braeb

urn

b

Diwa

b

Golden

b

Topaz

b

Schnei

derap

fel

a

Bohnapfe

l

a

Gala

a

Fuji

a

Cultivar

Nu

mb

er o

f p

up

ae p

er

fru

it (

mea

n

+S

E)

0

10

20

30

40

50

Engishofer

Grauer Hord

apfel

Bohnhapfel

Schneiderapfel

Fuji

Idared

BraeburnElst

arTo

pazDiw

aGala

Golden

Grapefruit

a

bF = 29.618, df = 12, p < 0.001

Climatology 1950-2000, Mean Temperature, January

*Apple growing region

Citrus growing region

Mexico: potential invasion by A. ludens of apple region

980 msnm, 18°C

430 msnm, 18°C

50 msnm, 24ºC

2,010 msnm, 14°C

180 msnm, 21ºC

0 25 50 75 100 Km

Temperature increase in certain regions may favor invasions of Anastrepha species into template areas

Regions in Mexico where apples are grown and areas where A. ludens populations are present in high numbers.

(Logan et al. 2003)

Six Malus domestica cultivars + Citrus paradisi

ESPAÑOLA SAN JUANERACHIPONA

RAYADASTARKINGRED DELICIOUSGOLDEN

DELICIOUS

GRAPEFRUIT

0

20

40

60

F = 31.21, df = 7, p < 0.001

Num

ber o

f pup

ae/f

ruit

(mea

n ±

SE)

0

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.01

0.012

0.014

0.016

0.018

NO pupa

Susceptibility of six mexican cultivars of Malus domestica + Citrus paradisi on pupal weight of A. ludens

Pupa

l wei

ght i

n gr

ams

(mea

n ±

SE)

F = 9.76, df = 6, p < 0.001

a

b

a

b

Development time in days

Developmental time (egg to pupa) of Anastrepha ludens reared in Six Mexican cultivars of Malus domestica + Citrus paradisi

Culti

var

Rayada

Chipona

Starking

Red Delicious

Española

Golden Delicious

Grapefruit

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

ab

a

a

a

a

a

b

F = 6.13, df = 6, p < 0.001

Larval death possibly by intoxication (red strings were observed) and larvalgrowth arrestment.

Costs of infesting apples

We also observed larval deformities, low pupae weight and deformed pupae = inability tocomplete metamorphosis.

Protein content in pupa was also low and PO activity was significantly different in resistant cultivars depressing the immune system.

Deformed pupae

Schneiderapfel Grapefruit

CONCLUSIONS

Mantainance of locally-grown cultivars will increase agroecosysthem resilience to pest invasions where global warming is already wreaking avoac.

Locally-grown and old cultivars are an important source of genes to enhance cultivar properties in breeding programs.

Apple domestication has significantly reduced natural resistance to pests.