Volatiles of undamaged plant as mediators of plant-plant interactions
Institute Seminar
- Date: Feb 23, 2023
- Time: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
- Speaker: Velemir Ninkovic
- Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden
- Location: Hybrid lecture (online via zoom & MPI-CE, A1.009 + A1.011)
- Room: Seminar room A1.009 and A1.011
The
capacity of individual plants to rapidly detect and respond to the presence of
competitive neighbors is essential as it determines their growth strategy and
survival. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) provide important information about
the physiological status and identity of the emitter. Previously, such
responses were only known to occur in response to volatiles released by damaged
plants. The novelity of these signals is that plants eavesdropping to volatiles
of undamaged neighbours respond with typical competition responses to the
neighbors even before competition takes place, initiating specific growth
readjustments that can increase their competitive capacity. The adjustment of
the plant gowth induced by volatiles of undamaged neighbours affects the
behavior and abundance of herbivore pests and their natural enemies giving to
this phenomenon wider ecological perspective. Our studies show that effective
volatile interactions occur only in specific combination of species/genotypes,
indicating that plants use volatile organic compounds in the detection and
adaption only to substantial competitive neighbors.