Abstract
Biodiversity is adversely affected by the growing levels of synthetic chemicals released into the environment due to agricultural activities. This has been the driving force for embracing sustainable agriculture. Plant secondary metabolites offer promising alternatives for protecting plants against microbes, feeding herbivores, and weeds. Terpenes are the largest among PSMs and have been extensively studied for their potential as antimicrobial, insecticidal, and weed control agents. They also attract natural enemies of pests and beneficial insects, such as pollinators and dispersers. However, most of these research findings are shelved and fail to pass beyond the laboratory and greenhouse stages. This review provides an overview of terpenes, types, biosynthesis, and their roles in protecting plants against microbial pathogens, insect pests, and weeds to rekindle the debate on using terpenes for the development of environmentally friendly biopesticides and herbicides.
Highlights
Plants and a multitude of pathogenic microbes are in a constant battle for supremacy.While pathogens adopt novel means to maintain their nutrition and shelter sources in plants, the former undergoes immunity evolution to keep off the latter by eliciting defense molecules
Plants produce two types of metabolites; primary metabolites are involved in cellular survival and propagation, and secondary metabolites play a crucial role in defense against pathogens and pests
According to Ma et al, several genes play a role in terpenes biosynthesis [62], and elicitor molecules can induce the high expression of the genes [63]
Summary
Plants and a multitude of pathogenic microbes are in a constant battle for supremacy. The production of terpenes by plants to counter biotic (pathogenic microbes, herbivore pests, and weeds) and abiotic (water, temperature, light, and salt) stresses is widely studied [8,13,14,15]. The crucial role of PSMs and terpenes makes them a critical topic of concern to plant protectionists This write-up reviews established knowledge of terpenes, types, the chemistry of their biosynthesis, and function in protecting plants from pests, diseases, and weeds. These highlights will reinvigorate the debate on using terpenes as active ingredients in developing biopesticides
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
