Chemically mediated multitrophic interactions and their role in crop protection

Abstract

Agricultural production is primarily constrained by biotic stresses, with insect pests being the most significant contributors. Effective pest management is essential for sustainable crop protection and relies on understanding how plants interact with pests (herbivores), their natural enemies (predators and parasitoids), other plants, and beneficial organisms such as pollinators. These interactions, which are also frequently influenced by microorganisms, collectively referred to as multitrophic interactions, play a crucial role in shaping agroecosystems. Recent research highlights that in agricultural systems, multitrophic interactions are primarily mediated by volatile organic compounds and other specialized metabolites through microbial activity. A deeper understanding of these chemically mediated mechanisms in pest, natural enemy, and pollinator attraction/repellence, and plant defense priming, offers new opportunities for developing ecologically sustainable pest management strategies. This review aims to synthesize emerging evidence on the role of plant- and microbial-derived specialized metabolites in mediating multitrophic interactions and potential applications for crop protection. It also identifies knowledge gaps and explores how recent advances are shaping the development of innovative crop protection technologies.

HIGHLIGHTS • Multitrophic interactions play a key role in agricultural systems and food productivity. • Plant volatiles and secondary metabolites contribute to shaping multitrophic interactions. • Microbial-mediated specialized metabolites also contribute to shaping multitrophic interactions. • Diverse chemical classes influence multitrophic interactions. • Understanding multitrophic interactions facilitates development of innovative crop protection technologies.