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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Herbivore-induced Blueberry Volatiles and Intra-plant Signaling
Published on: December 18, 2011
Volatile signaling in plant-plant-herbivore interactions: what is real?
Ian T Baldwin1, André Kessler, Rayko Halitschke
1Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Molecular Ecology, Winzerlaer Strasse 10, Jena 07745, Germany. baldwin@ice.mpg.de
Abstract:
Plants release volatiles after herbivore attack in a highly regulated fashion. These compounds attract natural enemies and function as indirect defenses. Whether neighboring plants 'eavesdrop' on these volatile signals and tailor their defenses accordingly remains controversial. Recent laboratory studies have identified transcriptional changes that occur in plants in response to certain volatiles. These changes occur under conditions that enhance the probability of signal perception and response. Field studies have demonstrated repeatable increases in the herbivore resistance of plants growing downwind of damaged plants.
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