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Oral Presentation

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Student Competition

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Student 10-Minute Presentation Competition

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Student Competition

Student

Grad 10-min Competition: P-IE, IPM 2

Judicious cultivar selection and exogenous exposure to the spatial elicitor cis-jasmone improves Solanum lycopersicum deterrence to Tuta absoluta

Monday, November 10, 2025

11:06 AM - 11:18 AM Pacific

Location: Oregon Convention Center, Portland Ballroom 255, OCC

Presenting Author(s)

JO

Julius Okwomi Olumeh

Newcastle University
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom

Co-Author(s)

KO

Kevin Ochwedo

University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
WO

Wilfred Otambo

Maseno University
Homa Bay, Nyanza, Ke, Nairobi Area, Kenya
SA

Samuel Apori

Newcastle University
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
RM

Richard Mukabana

University of Nairobi
Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya
DG

Dave George

Newcastle University
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
RS

Roy Sanderson

Newcastle University
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
BC

Beth Clark

Newcastle University
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
David kang

USDA ARS Biological Control of Insects Research Lab
Columbia, Missouri
JO

Jona Ochika

Newcastle University
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom

The integration of judicious tomato cultivar selection and exogenous application of cis-jasmone as a spatial plume offers a promising strategy for enhancing plant resistance to Tuta absoluta, a devastating pest of tomato crops. This study investigated the differential responses of three tomato cultivars - Susceptible (SS), Moderately Resistant (MR), and Resistant (RR) - to cis-jasmone treatment and larval herbivory, focusing on volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, T. absoluta olfactory behaviour, and larval development. The RR cultivar exhibited a robust defensive response, characterized by more than two-fold higher emissions of deterrent VOCs such as (Z)-Jasmone and α-Humulene, which significantly reduced larval growth (β = 0.796 and -0.814), feed conversion efficiency (-1.816 and -0.816), and adult moth preference compared to SS and MR respectively. Cis-jasmone application further amplified these defences by potentially priming the jasmonic acid (JA) pathway, enhancing VOC production, and reducing host plant attractiveness to T. absoluta. Notably, the interaction between cultivar and cis-jasmone elicitor treatment revealed the role of cultivars’ genetic makeup, with 46.2% reduction in larvae weight, under RR versus SS cultivar elicitor treatment showing the most pronounced defensive enhancement. These findings underscore the importance of cultivar-specific resistance traits and the potential of cis-jasmone as a sustainable tool for integrated pest management (IPM). By combining resistant cultivars with spatial plume dispensers of cis-jasmone in both field and greenhouse settings, farmers could reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, mitigate pest damage, and improve crop yields.