Elucidation of the relationship between soil and insects linked by microorganisms and development of a technological basis for their control

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21H02092
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38010:Plant nutrition and soil science-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Itoh Hideomi 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 生命工学領域, 主任研究員 (70748425)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 土壌 / 微生物 / 農業害虫 / 害虫防除 / 共生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Focusing on the phenomenon where agricultural pests acquire symbiotic bacteria from the soil and become more resilient, we have identified the soil environmental factor that determine the establishment of this symbiosis. First, we compared the physicochemical properties and density of symbiotic bacteria in soils where pest stinkbugs can or cannot acquire their symbionts, and clarified the soil environmental factors that affect the density of symbiotic bacteria. Furthermore, we discovered that modification of such soil factor can inhibit stinkbugs from acquiring symbiotic bacteria from the soil. These findings suggest that soil can directly influence the distribution of these insects and provide fundamental information for developing new pest control technique that differs from conventional methods.

Free Research Field

土壌微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

動物の分布に及ぼす土壌の影響は主に植物が介在した間接的なものとして考えられてきたが、本研究から土壌が昆虫の分布を直接的に規定することが初めて明らかとなった。また、昆虫の分布は気候条件や餌や捕食者相で規定されると考えられてきたが、昆虫生態における土壌の重要性を発見した。これらのことは土壌学および昆虫学の盲点であり、どちらの学問においても新しい学術領域を切り拓く意義を有する。また、害虫自身ではなく、害虫の生存や繁殖に重要な土壌微生物を制御するという新たな害虫防除技術コンセプトが得られ、殺虫剤の使用量を削減して環境保全性と農作物の持続的安定生産の両立に貢献できる可能性が見出された。