BPH feeding on the main shoots of Nipponbare and
TN1 reduced its growth by causing a decrease in leaf
area, leaf photosynthetic rate and other growth para-
meters. Whereas BPH feeding decreased leaf photosyn-
thetic rate and nitrogen content of infested shoots, tiller
removal did not affect these parameters. BPH sucks
phloem sap which contains sucrose and nitrogen compounds
(Chino et al., 1987), and the data presented here
suggest that removal of these nutrients will affect normal
growth and development of the main shoot.
Reduction in leaf nitrogen content, which may be partly
responsible for reduction in the growth of the main
shoot, is a possible major mechanism for BPH damage.
An abundant supply of nitrogen in the leaf increases
the amount of CO -fixing enzyme, RuBisCO, which