Western Corn Rootworm (IMAGE)

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

Western Corn Rootworm

Caption

The Western corn rootworm (insert) is a devastating pest of maize roots. By emitting the volatile compound E-beta-caryophyllene in response to rootworm feeding, maize plants naturally attract insect-killing nematodes. Using genetic transformation, the signal was restored in an American line and in field tests it was shown that this dramatically increased the protection that the plants received from the nematodes.

Credit

Matthias Held and Sergio Rasmann, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

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