Relationship between Alfalfa Salicylic Acid Content and Its Thrips Resistance
The relationship between the content of salicylic acid in alfalfa and its anti-thrips property was investigated in detecting the content of salicylic acid and damage level of insect pest according to the different density of thrips in different anti-thrips alfalfa. The results showed that the anti-thrips property of alfalfa was closely related to the free salicylic acid, bound salicylic acid and the total content of salicylic acid. The initial content of salicylic acid in high-level (thrips resistant strains) resistant strains of alfalfa was higher (0.539 mg · g-1 ) than that of in low-level (0. 403 mg · g-1 ) resistant strains. Contrasting to the lower-level resistant strains of alfalfa ,the content of salicylic acid in the damage organ(leaf) of high-level resistant strains of alfalfa was slowly increased with the increasing of the thrips,as well as rapidly improved with the increasing of the damage index(3.84 times). Moreover, the results indicated that high-level resistant strains of alfalfa can reduce the damage of insect pest by obtaining quickly the high content salicylic acid to prevent the enlarge of the damage. Salicylic acid indirectly strengthened the resistance of alfalfa for thrips.