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| Offenberg, Joachim. |
| Ants are challenged with disease transmission and microbial hygiene due to a life in densely populated long-lived ant nests. To improve hygiene ants use different ways to reduce microbial growth. They groom their bodies with (i) antimicrobial excretions from their metapleural and poison glands, they (ii) associate with bacterial symbionts capable of producing antibiotics, or they (iv) eat microbial spores. These defenses extend beyond the individual ant, as ants may groom nest mates, food substrates or nesting material. Defenses may even extend beyond the nest and affect mutualistic partners. For example, ants in specialized myrmecophytic ant-plant interactions have been shown to reduce pathogen loads on their host plants. Here we tested if wood ants... |
| Tipo: Conference paper, poster, etc. |
Palavras-chave: Biodiversity and ecosystem services Crop health; Quality; Protection. |
| Ano: 2017 |
URL: http://orgprints.org/33271/1/SE%202017%20Conference%20Program.pdf |
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| Offenberg, Joachim; Nielsen, Jesper Stern; Damgaard, Christian. |
| Ants can due to their high numbers and by being organized as superorganisms provide a number of services for plants including commercial crops. First, ants may prey on or deter arthropod and in some cases even vertebrate pests (Way & Khoo 1992; Goheen & Palmer 2010). Secondly, they may fertilize their host plants by depositing fecal spots on plant tissue. These fecal spots may contain important nutrients that can be taken up directly by plant leaves (Vidkjær et al. 2016; Pinkalski et al. 2018). In addition, ants may enrich the soil around plant roots with increased nutrient levels due to their foraging activities (Folgarait 1998; Frouz et al. 2008; Wagner & Fleur Nicklen 2010). Lastly, ants may also provide plant services by reducing plant... |
| Tipo: Journal paper |
Palavras-chave: Biodiversity and ecosystem services; Fruit and berries. |
| Ano: 2018 |
URL: http://orgprints.org/33268/1/Service%20disservice%20paper.docx |
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| Offenberg, Joachim; Damgaard, Christian. |
| 1. Ants provide ecosystem services to agriculture by controlling arthropod pests. Plant diseases, however, can be more detrimental to plant production than herbivory. Here, we investigate a new type of potential ant service – namely that ant hygiene may extend beyond the ants themselves to also cover their host plants, potentially resulting in protection against plant diseases. 2. We review the literature for support to the idea that ant hygiene, including ant-derived antibiotics, can protect plants against pathogens, and we provide empirical pilot data from a Danish apple plantation further supporting this idea. 3. In a literature search, we found nine studies showing ants reducing pathogen incidence on host plants. These studies cover nine ant species... |
| Tipo: Journal paper |
Palavras-chave: Biodiversity and ecosystem services Fruit and berries Crop health; Quality; Protection. |
| Ano: 2018 |
URL: http://orgprints.org/33267/1/Fungal%20disease%20paper.docx |
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