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Updated: Aug 8, 2025

Herbivore-induced Blueberry Volatiles and Intra-plant Signaling
Published on: December 18, 2011
The consequences of synthetic auxin herbicide on plant-herbivore interactions
Nia Johnson1, Grace Zhang1, Anah Soble1
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Abstract:
Although herbicide drift is a common side effect of herbicide application in agroecosystems, its effects on the ecology and evolution of natural communities are rarely studied. A recent shift to dicamba, a synthetic auxin herbicide known for 'drifting' to nontarget areas, necessitates the examination of drift effects on the plant-insect interactions that drive eco-evo dynamics in weed communities. We review current knowledge of direct effects of synthetic auxin herbicides on plant-insect interactions, focusing on plant herbivory, and discuss potential indirect effects, which are cascading effects on organisms that interact with herbicide-exposed plants. We end by developing a framework for the study of plant-insect interactions given drift, highlighting potential changes to plant developmental timing, resource quantity, quality, and cues.
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