Textbook Problem

Volatile Secondary Metabolites in Plant Stress Responses In 2007, researchers Casey Delphia, Mark Mescher, and Consuelo De Moraes (pictured at left) published a study on the production of different volatile chemicals by tobacco plants in response to predation by two types of insects: western flower thrips and tobacco budworms. Their results are shown in FIGURE 30.19.

FIGURE 30.19 Volatile (airborne) compounds produced by tobacco plants in response to predation by different insects. Plants were untreated (C), attacked thrips (T), mechanically wounded (W), mechanically wounded and attacked by thrips (WT), attacked by budworms (HIV), or attacked by budworms and thrips (HVT). Values are in nanograms/day.

Which treatment elicited the greatest production of volatiles?

Summary Introduction

To find: The treatment that elicited the greatest production of volatiles in tobacco.

Concept introduction: One of the most striking features of plants is that they are capable of producing sugars by using the sun light; this phenomenon is called as photosynthesis. Thus, the sugars that are produced are primary metabolites. In addition to this, the plants also produce secondary metabolites. Secondary metabolites are mainly involved in the plant interactions with the environment where they live and help to adjust the behavior and growth of the plant. Volatile compounds produced by the plants are mainly the secondary metabolites. They are the compounds that provide smell and taste to the plants.

Explanation of Solution

Plants attacked by budworms and thrips (HVT) or budworms alone (HV) produced a total of 11 different volatiles in the amounts of 13,563 ng/day and 9,423 ng/day, respectively. The greatest production of volatile compounds produced in tobacco plant is mainly due to the treatment of HVT. It has produced 13,556 ng/day, which indicates that the treatment has a very large impact on the secondary metabolite production in tobacco.

Conclusion

Plants that are attacked by budworms and thrips (HVT) have produced the maximum volatile compounds in the amount of 13,563 ng/day. There are 11 compounds produced by tobacco by this treatment.