Crop diversity induces trade-offs in microbial biopesticide susceptibility that could delay pest resistance evolution.

Pathogens often exert strong selection on host populations, yet considerable genetic variation for infection defence persists. Environmental heterogeneity may cause fitness trade-offs that prevent fixation of host alleles affecting survival when exposed to pathogens in wild populations. Pathogens ar...

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Main Authors: Rosie M Mangan, Matthew C Tinsley, Ester Ferrari, Ricardo A Polanczyk, Luc F Bussière
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-05-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013150
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author Rosie M Mangan
Matthew C Tinsley
Ester Ferrari
Ricardo A Polanczyk
Luc F Bussière
author_facet Rosie M Mangan
Matthew C Tinsley
Ester Ferrari
Ricardo A Polanczyk
Luc F Bussière
author_sort Rosie M Mangan
collection DOAJ
description Pathogens often exert strong selection on host populations, yet considerable genetic variation for infection defence persists. Environmental heterogeneity may cause fitness trade-offs that prevent fixation of host alleles affecting survival when exposed to pathogens in wild populations. Pathogens are extensively used in biocontrol for crop protection. However, the risks of pest resistance evolution to biocontrol are frequently underappreciated: the key drivers of fitness trade-offs for pathogen resistance remain unclear, both in natural and managed populations. We investigate whether pathogen identity or host diet has a stronger effect on allelic fitness by quantifying genetic variation and covariation for survival in an insect pest across distinct combinations of fungal pathogen infection and plant diet. We demonstrate substantial heritability, indicating considerable risks of biopesticide resistance evolution. Contrary to conventional thinking in host-pathogen biology, we found no strong genetic trade-offs for surviving exposure to two different fungal pathogen species. However, changes in plant diet dramatically altered selection, revealing diet-mediated genetic trade-offs affecting pest survival. Our data suggest that trade-offs in traits not strictly related to infection responses could nevertheless maintain genetic variation in natural and agricultural landscapes.
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institution OA Journals
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publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
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spelling doaj-art-db277d7c95d446ecad6dfce63ae305c62025-08-20T02:34:10ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742025-05-01215e101315010.1371/journal.ppat.1013150Crop diversity induces trade-offs in microbial biopesticide susceptibility that could delay pest resistance evolution.Rosie M ManganMatthew C TinsleyEster FerrariRicardo A PolanczykLuc F BussièrePathogens often exert strong selection on host populations, yet considerable genetic variation for infection defence persists. Environmental heterogeneity may cause fitness trade-offs that prevent fixation of host alleles affecting survival when exposed to pathogens in wild populations. Pathogens are extensively used in biocontrol for crop protection. However, the risks of pest resistance evolution to biocontrol are frequently underappreciated: the key drivers of fitness trade-offs for pathogen resistance remain unclear, both in natural and managed populations. We investigate whether pathogen identity or host diet has a stronger effect on allelic fitness by quantifying genetic variation and covariation for survival in an insect pest across distinct combinations of fungal pathogen infection and plant diet. We demonstrate substantial heritability, indicating considerable risks of biopesticide resistance evolution. Contrary to conventional thinking in host-pathogen biology, we found no strong genetic trade-offs for surviving exposure to two different fungal pathogen species. However, changes in plant diet dramatically altered selection, revealing diet-mediated genetic trade-offs affecting pest survival. Our data suggest that trade-offs in traits not strictly related to infection responses could nevertheless maintain genetic variation in natural and agricultural landscapes.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013150
spellingShingle Rosie M Mangan
Matthew C Tinsley
Ester Ferrari
Ricardo A Polanczyk
Luc F Bussière
Crop diversity induces trade-offs in microbial biopesticide susceptibility that could delay pest resistance evolution.
PLoS Pathogens
title Crop diversity induces trade-offs in microbial biopesticide susceptibility that could delay pest resistance evolution.
title_full Crop diversity induces trade-offs in microbial biopesticide susceptibility that could delay pest resistance evolution.
title_fullStr Crop diversity induces trade-offs in microbial biopesticide susceptibility that could delay pest resistance evolution.
title_full_unstemmed Crop diversity induces trade-offs in microbial biopesticide susceptibility that could delay pest resistance evolution.
title_short Crop diversity induces trade-offs in microbial biopesticide susceptibility that could delay pest resistance evolution.
title_sort crop diversity induces trade offs in microbial biopesticide susceptibility that could delay pest resistance evolution
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013150
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