Plant Immunity Inducer-Enhanced Volatiles in Rice: Boosting Indirect Defense against Striped Stem Borers Through Parasitoid Attraction

Plants
employ both direct and indirect defense mechanisms to combat
herbivorous insects, with volatile emissions playing a critical role
in attracting natural enemies of pests. This study investigates the
effects of Atailing, a plant immunity inducer, on rice (Oryza sativa) defenses against the striped stem borer
(Chilo suppressalis, SSB). Behavioral
assays revealed that Atailing-treated rice plants significantly enhanced Trichogramma japonicum (the major egg parasitoid
of C. suppressalis) attraction, increasing C. suppressalis oviposition parasitism rates (direct,
94.7%; indirect, 131.1%), confirming indirect defense as an active
strategy induced by Atailing. GC-MS analysis identified six key functional
compounds that significantly attract T. japonicum. Chemical and biological assays demonstrated that the concentrations
of salicylic acid (SA) and trypsin inhibitors (TrypPIs) were significantly
increased by 30.1% and 13.2%, respectively. These findings highlight
the potential of Atailing in modulating volatile emissions to attract
natural enemies and provide evidence of its potential as a sustainable
pest management tool.