Plant to plant communication via volatiles
Inger Åhman
dept. Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp
About 30 years ago two independent studies showed that volatiles from damaged plants may induce resistance to herbivores in neighbouring undamaged plants. These results were initially much debated, but were later confirmed in other plant species as well. During the last decade also volatiles from apparently undamaged plants have been found to induce changes in neighbouring plants, however only in certain genotype combinations. Efforts to unravel the mechanisms for this will be presented, using barley and the bird cherry – oat aphid as test organisms. Possibilities to apply these results for plant protection purposes will be presented.
