Eavesdropping on plant-insect-microbe chemical communications in agricultural ecology: a virtual issue on semiochemicals

Authors: Beck, John; TORTO, BALDWYN - International Centre Of Insect Physiology And Ecology; VANNETTE, RACHEL - University Of California

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/13/2017
Publication Date: 6/28/2017
Citation: Beck, J.J., Torto, B., Vannette, R.L. 2017. Eavesdropping on plant-insect-microbe chemical communications in agricultural ecology: a virtual issue on semiochemicals. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 65:5101-5103. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.7b02741.

Interpretive Summary: Scientific studies of the interactions between plants and insects, and more recently the interactions among plants, insects, and microbes, have revealed that chemical odors often influence greatly insect movement, aggregation, and host location by herbivores, predators and parasitoids, all of which could be used to help protect agriculture. It is this network of odor chemical communications, also known as semiochemicals, among plant-insect-microbes that are highlighted in this virtual issue of J. Agric. Food Chem. In this issue, what we consider to be a very special topic near and dear to our heart, we, the guest editors, present 19 articles published in J. Agric. Food Chem. from 2015, 2016, and to the present issue of this year, that report on odors as vehicles for chemical communications from plants, insects, and microbes. Discussed within this editorial, is a brief overview of semiochemicals, why they are important in our quest to protect the global agriculture industry, what we would like to see more of in J. Agric. Food Chem., and finally, some possible directions for semiochemicals and their role in the protection of agricultural commodities.

Technical Abstract: Studies of plant-insect interactions, and more recently the interactions among plants, insects, and microbes, have revealed that volatiles often facilitate insect movement, aggregation, and host location by herbivores, predators and parasitoids, all of which could be used to help protect agriculture. It is this network of volatile chemical communications, also known as semiochemicals, among plant-insect-microbes that are highlighted in this virtual issue of J. Agric. Food Chem. In this virtual issue, what we consider to be a very special topic near and dear to our heart, we, the guest editors, present 19 articles published in J. Agric. Food Chem. from 2015, 2016, and to the present issue of this year, that report on the volatile chemical communications from plants, insects, and microbes. Discussed within this editorial, is a brief overview of semiochemicals, why they are important in our quest to protect the global agriculture industry, what we would like to see more of in J. Agric. Food Chem., and finally, some possible directions for semiochemicals and their role in the protection of agricultural commodities.