Effects of insect herbivores and nematodes on the early-performance of wild nightshades (Solanum spp.) and their capacity to be alternative hosts for agricultural pests

Some natural enemies can use suboptimal hosts as population-reservoirs until better conditions become available. These alternative hosts may or may not suffer effects of the natural enemy, but can be gateways to populations of susceptible and better hosts, or barriers to protect nearby crops from intensive pest incidence. This is the case for nightshades (Solanum spp.), commonly found along roads and deliberately planted/maintained in borders of multiple agricultural properties. Here we experimentally test whether wild nightshade roots are host-reservoirs and/or gateways for root-knot nematodes in many crops, or barriers to protect crop Solanum from intensive infection. In addition, as juveniles are generally more susceptible to biotic and abiotic pressures, we also test how early-survival and growth of wild nightshades are affected by the incidence of natural enemies. Our objectives are to determine: 1) which of the most common wild Solanum species are hosts of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.); 2) whether nematodes can produce enough viable eggs and/or J2s for the plant to be considered a reservoir; 3) whether these viable nematodes are able to migrate and infect other nearby alternative and definitive hosts; and 4) how attacks by nematodes and insect herbivores affect the survival and development of different early-stages of wild nightshades. Our results will have important implications for the management and control of crop-pests in agricultural settings, as nightshades are known to be hosts of multiple types of natural enemies above and belowground, and therefore may be critical for effective low-cost and environmentally-friendly pest mitigation strategies.