Do plant volatiles shape species interactions in agroecological fields?

Plants use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to continuously communicate with antagonistic organisms such as herbivore pests; and mutualistic organisms such as natural enemies of the pests, and pollinators.

But we only know the basics of this communication and most of the studies come from laboratory experiments involving only pairwise or at most three-species interactions. How VOCs mediate multitrophic plant-insect interactions in field conditions remain massively unknown.

In PANOPLY, I will be the first one to study how VOCs shape plant-insect interactions in an unpresented long-term scale from the lab to the field.

I will use the scientifically and economically important perennial system of grapevine (Vitis vinifera), and the leafhopper pest Scaphoideus titanus, which is the main insect vector of Flavescence dore (FD); a lethal quarantine disease of threat to European grapevines.

I will test VOC from aromatic plants that is a major group of plants containing VOCs that are distinct from other plant species.

I will use single and mixtures of species of aromatic plants to: (1) Identify VOCs that can affect life history traits of development, host choices and reproduction of grapevine leafhopper; (2) Validate in the greenhouse and on common garden experiments, how VOCs affect insects behaviour and survival; (3) Test aromatic plants in analytical field experiments over the long term to understand the role of VOCs on mediating multitrophic plant-insect interactions.

PANOPLY will be the first demonstration of how VOCs shape multitrophic plant-insect interactions in perennial plants answering this significant knowledge gap.

PANOPLY will (i) reveal the mechanisms of plant-mediated cues and their long-term effects on plant-insect interactions, (ii) open new avenues for research in chemical ecology and agroecology, and (iii) enhance crop health and insects biodiversity by preventing plant disease outbreaks through biological pest control and zero-pesticides use.