Difference in Foliar Fatty Acid Composition in Potato Cultivars over a Growing Season May Influence the Host Location Preference of Leptinotarsa Decemlineata

The production of commercial potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum ) for different market classes is of vital agricultural importance in the United States. For the production of chips, fresh-market or processing potatoes, potato producers rely upon different potato cultivars to meet market and consumer demands. Many cultivars possess distinctive traits which make them more or less susceptible to disease and insect pressure. One important and understudied trait that may confer host location preference and population performance include leaf fatty acid composition(s). It is known that leaf fatty acid composition can influence growth, taste, and even insect defense mechanisms. In the current investigation we examined the fatty acid composition of leaf tissue obtained from 8 commercial potato cultivars representing different market classes grown in a controlled field study. We examined colonization preference of Leptinotarsa decemlineata among the 8 different potato cultivars over a 45 day period representing the first full generation in Wisconsin. Results of these experiments suggest, i) that fatty acid compositions in leaf tissue vary between potato cultivars and among sample dates throughout the experiment, ii) that Leptinotarsa decemlineata may preferentially colonize particular potato cultivars, and iii) that there was a significant correlation between omega-3 fatty acid composition in leaf tissue and Leptinotarsa decemlineata cultivar preference.