Genetic variation in Eucalyptus globulus in relation to susceptibility from attack by the southern eucalypt leaf beetle, Chrysophtharta agricola
Luke P. Rapley A C D , Geoff R. Allen A and Brad M. Potts BA Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Production Forestry, Private Bag 12, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.
B School of Agricultural Science, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 54, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.
C School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: Luke.Rapley@ffp.csiro.au
Australian Journal of Botany 52(6) 747-756 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT04007
Submitted: 14 January 2004 Accepted: 9 July 2004 Published: 24 December 2004
Abstract
The southern eucalypt leaf beetle, Chrysophtharta agricola (Chapuis), is an outbreak insect pest of commercial Eucalyptus globulus Labill. plantations in south-eastern Australia. We surveyed a young E. globulus family trial in southern Tasmania to determine whether genetic variation existed in the susceptibility of trees to C. agricola field oviposition. The family trial consisted of 225 families, derived from open-pollinated seed collected from native stands at 24 different localities, representing nine geographic subraces. The survey showed that E. globulus subraces from Victoria were significantly more susceptible to C. agricola oviposition than Tasmanian subraces. Significant additive genetic variation within subraces was evident for the number of egg batches, larval clutches and their combination (infestation level), although these heritability scores were all low (egg batches h2op = 0.09; larval clutches h2op = 0.14 and infestation level h2op = 0.11). Subsequent tree defoliation was significantly positively correlated with infestation at a phenotypic, genetic and environmental level. No significant differences in C. agricola oviposition on foliage sprigs was detected among subraces in an ex situ caged oviposition experiment. However, the cage experiment proved to be a good predictor of field oviposition, accounting for 70 and 88% of variation in field oviposition among localities and subraces, respectively.
Acknowledgments
The field assistance of Rachel Lawrence, Karren Barry, Vinu Patel, Steve Patterson and Paul Tilyard is gratefully acknowledged. The help of Helen Nahrung in collecting beetles for use in the cage experiment, is greatly appreciated. Greg Dutkowski helped with the development of the models used for data analysis and we thank Dean Williams as well as Peter Kube for providing tree-height data and information relating to the family trial design and its genetic structure. We also thank Forestry Tasmania for allowing access to the family trial site and for permitting foliage to be removed from trees. The study was funded by University of Tasmania, CRC for Sustainable Production Forestry and Helsham.
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