Unravelling the secrets of plant volatile communication

Maja Ghent about the seminar:

Plants are chemical factories. They communicate by using chemical signals in the form of plant volatiles. These plant volatiles are called biogenic organic volatile compounds (BVOC) including wide range of organic species. These gaseous compounds act as signals mediating plant communication affecting not only challenged plant but also their neighbours. In case of biotic (infestations) and abiotic (temperature, drought etc…) stresses, defence reactions are triggered by the interplay of several substances. How this can be monitored and quantified?

Short and long term experiments are performed in the growth rooms and in the forest on adult and young trees. The experiments were funded by Belgian government via national agency for science policy (BELSPO). The 4-year international multidisciplinary project within which many indoor and outdoor experiments are performed is coordinated by Ghent University (Belgium). Abiotic effects on volatile emmission such as temprature, drought, season and vertical canopy gradient will be discussed.