Riding on the wind: volatile compounds dictate selection of grassland seedlings by snails.

Background And Aims: Seedling herbivory is an important selective filter in many plant communities. The removal of preferred food plants by both vertebrate and, more commonly, invertebrate herbivores can destroy entire seedling cohorts, and consequently dictate plant community assembly. Nevertheless, our understanding of how and why some seedlings are more prone to herbivore attack than their neighbours remains limited.

Something in the air? The impact of volatiles on mollusc attack of oilseed rape seedlings.

Background And Aims: Mounting concerns about balancing food security with the environmental impacts of agro-chemical use underpin the need to better understand the mechanisms by which crop plants, particularly during the vulnerable seedling stage, attract or repel herbivores.

Methods: The feeding preferences of the mollusc Helix aspersa were determined for several oilseed rape (Brassica napus) cultivars and a rank order of acceptability was established. This was compared with glucosinolate concentrations and volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles to determine whether seedling acceptability to molluscs was linked to either form of defence.