Fungal Seed Treatment Enhances Defensive Volatile Response to Herbivory in Cotton

Plants emit odors known as volatile organic compounds and herbivory induces the release of additional volatiles which serve as direct and indirect defenses against the herbivore. Beneficial microbes are increasingly recognized for their ability to enhance plant defenses against herbivores. We treated cotton seeds with the spores of beneficial plant-associated fungi and quantified volatile emissions in response to herbivory by the beet army worm, S. exigua. Our analysis revealed that the fungal seed treatment significantly enhanced defensive volatile emissions compared to control plants.