Glandular trichomes of Solanum berthaultii and its hybrids with potato deter oviposition and impair growth of potato tuber moth

Glandular trichomes on foliage of the wild potato species, Solanum berthaul tii Hawkes, deter oviposition by the potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea o perculella Zeller and negatively affect other important performance paramet ers. Oviposition deterring factors are localized in the glandular trichomes of S. berthaultii. When mechanically transferred to foliage of a susceptib le potato cultivar, trichome contents reduced egg laying by 97%. Removal of glandular trichomes from S. berthaultii foliage using a combination of che mical and mechanical procedures increased oviposition rates ca. 210-fold. R emoval of trichomes also led to increased mobility of larvae on the leaf su rface, more leaf feeding, shorter larval development and larger pupae. The resistance conferred by glandular trichomes of S. berthaultii provides an i mportant genetic trait potentially useful for management of PTM.