Evidence that plant varieties respond differently to NO2 pollution as indicated by resistance to insect herbivores

The effects of NO(2) pollution on the performance of aphids feeding on different bean varieties were investigated by fumigation experiments. The susceptibility of the different genotypes dramatically changed as the concentration of atmospheric pollutant was increased. The direction of change was not constant between varieties. Our data suggest that resistance or susceptibility of a plant variety to insect herbivory can be significantly altered when subjected to pollutant stress, thus indicating that it may be difficult to predict the susceptibility of host plants in a polluted atmosphere.