Cowpea Plants Use 2 Chemical Signals to Recruit Wasps Against Leafminers
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Aug 21
Cowpea Plants Use 2 Chemical Signals to Recruit Wasps Against Leafminers
2 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Aug 21
Summary
Chinese scientists found cowpea plants under leafminer attack release root chemicals that alter soil microbes, helping later plants mount stronger wasp-attracting defenses.
Cell Reports published the study Friday, showing the crop also emits short-lived airborne volatiles that summon the parasitic wasp Neochrysocharis formosa to attack leafminer larvae.
In controlled experiments, that soil-driven microbiome shift let even uninfested cowpeas boost their airborne distress signal, creating what researchers called a soil-borne defensive legacy.
Heavy infestations by the American serpentine leafminer can strip leaves and cut yields, and the team said the mechanism could inform lower-pesticide pest control if it holds up outside the lab.