CIS-JASMONE INDUCED DEFENCE IN BRASSICAS

There is a need to develop new ways of protecting plants against aphid attack. Here, we investigated the effect of a plant defence activator, <i>cis</i>-jasmone (CJ), in a range of cultivars of <i>Brassica napus</i>, <i>Brassica rapa</i> and <i>Brassica oleracea</i>. Plants were sprayed with <i>cis</i>-jasmone or blank formulation. Increases in volatile emission were found in CJ induced plants but varied with genotype. Among the synthetic volatile compounds that were induced in the headspace of CJ treated brassica cultivars, methyl isothiocyanate, methyl salicylate and <i>cis</i>-jasmone were most repellent to aphids. These results build on earlier studies in <i>Arabidopsis</i> and show that tritrophic interactions are influenced by CJ in a wide range of brassica germplasm. The implication is that CJ is a promising treatment that could be used in brassica crops as part of an integrated pest management system. HERE WE PROVIDE DATA ON THE EMISSION OF VOLATILES RELEASED BY CIS-JASMONE TREATED (CJ) AND NON-TREATED (CONTROL) BRASSICA PLANTS