Study Reveals Plant-Derived Aerosols Mediate Plant Interactions

Research shows secondary organic aerosols from plants influence defense responses in neighboring plants.

Plants release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when damaged by herbivores, which transform into secondary organic aerosols (SOAs).
The study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland found that SOAs continue to mediate plant-plant interactions after VOCs are oxidized.
Scots pine seedlings damaged by pine weevils emit VOCs that activate defenses in nearby plants, with this effect persisting in the form of SOAs.
Plants exhibit different defense strategies when responding to VOCs versus SOAs, yet maintain similar resistance levels to herbivore feeding.
SOAs have a longer lifetime and can mediate interactions over greater distances than VOCs, indicating plants can detect both close and distant threats.