Plant Volatile Blends as Insect Attractants in Semiochemical Based Pest Management
Aswini Venkatesh
Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala – 695522, India.
Vijayasree Vijayasminidevi *
Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala – 695522, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Plants release complex mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that mediate interactions with herbivores, pollinators, natural enemies and other organisms. These volatiles are generally emitted as blends whose composition and abundance vary with plant species, tissue type, developmental stage, herbivory, microbial interactions and environmental conditions. Major groups include terpenoids, phenylpropanoid and benzenoid compounds, volatile fatty acid derivatives and amino acid-derived volatiles. Plant odours provide chemical information that insects use to locate hosts and other resources, and can influence interactions between plants and insects. This ecological function has led to increasing interest in plant-derived volatiles as semiochemicals for insect monitoring and management. Plant-derived volatile cues have been investigated in mass trapping, attract-and-kill and push–pull strategies. However, their effectiveness depends not only on chemical identity but also on concentration, blend composition, component ratios, release rate and environmental conditions. This mini-review examines the chemical diversity and ecological functions of plant volatile blends, the factors influencing their emission and their applications in insect attraction and semiochemical-based pest management.
Keywords: Plant volatile organic compounds, plant–insect interactions, insect attractants, semiochemicals, natural enemies, pest management