Virus infection mediates the effects of elevated CO(2) on plants and vectors

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) concentration has increased significantly and is projected to double by 2100. To increase current food production levels, understanding how pests and diseases respond to future climate driven by increasing CO(2) is imperative. We investigated the effects of elevated CO(2) (eCO(2)) on the interactions among wheat (cv. Yitpi), Barley yellow dwarf virus and an important pest and virus vector, the bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi), by examining aphid life history, feeding behavior and plant physiology and biochemistry. Our results showed for the first time that virus infection can mediate effects of eCO(2) on plants and pathogen vectors. Changes in plant N concentration influenced aphid life history and behavior, and N concentration was affected by virus infection under eCO(2). We observed a reduction in aphid population size and increased feeding damage on noninfected plants under eCO(2) but no changes to population and feeding on virus-infected plants irrespective of CO(2) treatment. We expect potentially lower future aphid populations on noninfected plants but no change or increased aphid populations on virus-infected plants therefore subsequent virus spread. Our findings underscore the complexity of interactions between plants, insects and viruses under future climate with implications for plant disease epidemiology and crop production.