Abstract
Volatile compounds and extrafloral nectar are common defenses of wild plants; however, in crops they bear an as-yet underused potential for biological control of pests and diseases. Odor emission and nectar secretion are multigene traits in wild plants, and thus form difficult targets for breeding. Furthermore, domestication has changed the capacity of crops to express these traits. We propose that breeding crops for an enhanced capacity for tritrophic interactions and volatile-mediated direct resistance to herbivores and pathogens can contribute to environmentally-friendly and sustainable agriculture. Natural plant volatiles with antifungal or repellent properties can serve as direct resistance agents. In addition, volatiles mediating tritrophic interactions can be combined with nectar-based food rewards for carnivores to boost indirect plant defense.
Highlights
Volatile compounds and extrafloral nectar are common defenses of wild plants; in crops they bear an as-yet underused potential for biological control of pests and diseases
Seemingly all plants respond to herbivore-inflicted damage with the enhanced emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and plants in numerous taxa respond with the secretion of extrafloral nectar (EFN) [14,15,16,17]
We argue that induced plant volatiles, owing to their multiple roles as signals, repellents, and antimicrobial compounds, bear an as-yet underused potential for biological control, and that future breeding efforts should enhance the capacity of crops to engage in tritrophic interactions
Summary
Volatile compounds and extrafloral nectar are common defenses of wild plants; in crops they bear an as-yet underused potential for biological control of pests and diseases. Seemingly all plants respond to herbivore-inflicted damage with the enhanced emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and plants in numerous taxa respond with the secretion of extrafloral nectar (EFN) [14,15,16,17]. Both VOCs and EFN attract adult parasitoids and predators (hereinafter collectively termed ‘carnivores’), an effect that can significantly reduce herbivore pressure on wild plants [18,19]. Rewilding: the reintroduction of properties from the wild relatives of crops, for example, to re-establish resistance traits that were lost during domestication
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