Nesidiocoris tenuis induces the early expression of type IV glandular trichomes in tomatoes

Abstract: Introgression lines derived from the cross between cultivated tomato Moneymaker
and wild species Solanum pimpinellifolium showed resistance to the whiteflies Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). In these introgression lines, type IV glandular trichomes that produce acylsugars, conferred antixenosis and antibiosis properties. Plant resistance to whitefly effectively reduced the spread of Tomato yellow curl begomovirus (TYLCV) and Tomato chlorosis crinivirus (ToCV). However, early developmental stages of these introgressed tomato plants showed limited protection against whiteflies due to the non-abundance of glandular trichomes and low acylsugars synthesis. In this work, the inoculation of introgressed tomato seedlings by Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae) resulted in an effective induction of type IV glandular trichomes and prompted the production of acylsugars, leading to resistance to whitefly and whiteflytransmitted viruses at early stages of crop development. Therefore, integrating traditional breeding techniques with biological control in integrated pest management programs can offer an efficient strategy for managing whiteflies and virus incidence in tomatoes.