Diversity of Squash Plant Floral Volatiles Mediating Beetle Attraction

Why do beetles like some squash flowers more than others? Flowers emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are integral for defensive and communicative plant abilities. Certain floral volatiles of squash plants have been known to attract pests like cucumber beetles, while others appear more immune. This study expands on the observation that some squash plants are more infested with pests than others. It aims to decipher which specific floral volatiles are influential in this phenomenon and reveal which squash varieties of Cucurbita maxima have higher/lower levels of these important floral volatiles

Stressed Out: Why Does Ancient Maize Thrive in High-Stress Conditions?

Why is understanding stress response in maize so important? Maize, along with rice and wheat, provide at least 30% of calories to over 4.5 billion people Increases in flooding events has heavily impacted natural vegetation and crop production Combinatorial stresses, particularly flooding and herbivory, remain understudied for both modern and ancient verities of maize Ancient maize may be a superior genetic resource for flood-tolerant cor

The Tomato Strikes Back: Plant Response to Environmental Stress

Introduction Tomato is an important vegetable. Its production is threatened due to altered weather patterns which increase environmental stressors such as flooding1, 2 and herbivory3 to crops. Plants respond in many ways. Stressed plants strike back to environmental stress by altering their chemistry4: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions Defensive secondary metabolites2 Stress induced physiological changes in plants impact growth and development of insects. This study is broken into two experiments: The plant response to flooding stress The insect performance on flooded plant

Sometimes, When it Rains it Pours: How Does Flooding Alter Plant-Herbivore Relationships?

Flooding, an under-studied abiotic stressor, creates hostile soil conditions, including hypoxia, which hinder the growth and development of plants. Plants respond to abiotic and biotic stressors. A common response is the production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which modulate stress responses and mediate plant and insect interactions. Flooding causes significant losses in crops of agricultural and economic importance including tomato. Understanding how flooding impacts plant growth, plant chemistry, caterpillar performance and chemical mediated plant-herbivore interactions will create fundamental knowledge to an emerging challenge brought about by climate change and inform pest management decisions post flooding events. This study investigated how flooding alters tomato plant volatile emissions and affects caterpillar growth and performance

Exploration of Squash Plant Floral Volatiles Influencing Beetle Attraction

Flowers emit volatiles to attract pollinators, but these volatiles can also attract pest insects. Our study builds on earlier findings that showed that cucumber beetle attraction to squash flowers is mediated by volatile release and cucurbitacin accumulation (Theis, 2014, DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1400171). Of the three main domesticated squash species, only a few varieties of Cucurbita maxima had large quantities of floral volatiles and cucurbitacin (Andersen and Metcalf, 1987, doi: 10.1007/BF01020152); however, these studies were limited in the number of varieties that were examined. Here, we increased the number of C. maxima varieties examined, to identify patterns in floral volatile production, with the goal of identifying correlations between specific volatiles and beetle attraction. The findings from this study support a larger project, Fighting Fire with FIRE: Exploiting Corn Rootworm Attraction to Manipulate Pest Behavior

Deciphering Plant-Insect-Microorganism Signals for Sustainable Crop Production

Agricultural crop productivity relies on the application of chemical pesticides to reduce pest and pathogen damage. However, chemical pesticides also pose a range of ecological, environmental and economic penalties. This includes the development of pesticide resistance by insect pests and pathogens, rendering pesticides less effective. Alternative sustainable crop protection tools should therefore be considered. Semiochemicals are signalling molecules produced by organisms, including plants, microbes, and animals, which cause behavioural or developmental changes in receiving organisms. Manipulating semiochemicals could provide a more sustainable approach to the management of insect pests and pathogens across crops. Here, we review the role of semiochemicals in the interaction between plants, insects and microbes, including examples of how they have been applied to agricultural systems. We highlight future research priorities to be considered for semiochemicals to be credible alternatives to the application of chemical pesticides