Plant Volatile Methyl Salicylate Primes Wheat Defense Against the Grain Aphid by Altering the Synthesis of Defense Metabolites.

Methyl salicylate primes wheat defense by increasing salicylic acid, flavonoids, and benzoxazinoids, enhancing resistance to grain aphids and attracting parasitoids.

• Why it matters: Understanding how plant volatiles activate defense mechanisms can improve crop protection strategies and reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, addressing a critical gap in wheat pest management.
• What they did: Researchers applied methyl salicylate to wheat and used insect bioassays, hormone and metabolite measurements, and transcriptome analyses to investigate defense priming and volatile emission responses.
• The result: Methyl salicylate treatment boosted defense metabolites and volatile emissions, impaired aphid survival and reproduction, and involved odorant-binding proteins, suggesting its potential as a crop protectant.