Biochemical basis of plant-insect interaction in arid horticulture crops: a scientific review

Abstract

Plants are persistently confronted to both abiotic and biotic stresses that drastically reduce their productivity. Plant responses to these stresses are multifaceted and involve copious Biochemical, physiological, molecular, molecular and cellular adaptations. Recent evidence shows that simultaneous occurrence of abiotic and biotic stress can have a positive effect on plant performance by reducing the susceptibility to biotic stress which is a positive sign for arid horticulture crops. Some of these adaptations specifically biochemical adaptations become the source of plant defense mechanisms against biotic stresses like insect’s pest and diseases. These biochemical adaptations/mechanisms includes production of secondary metabolites of plant defense against the biotic stresses especially against insects are wide spread and highly dynamic, and are mediated the response directly or indirectly in arid horticultural crops. Production of secondary metabolites viz. terpenes, phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, N & S containing compounds is constitutive as well as inducible through mild stress caused by insect damage to plants which leads to affect the feeding, growth and survival of the insect. Quality and quantity of constitutive secondary metabolites production is species as well as cultivar specific and can be expressed as signature of particular plant or species and leads to the phenomenon of host-plant interaction or host-plant resistance. This phenomenon of host plant resistance to insect can be exploited for development of crop cultivars which readily produce the inducible response upon mild infestation and can perform as one of the of integrated pest management for sustainable arid horticulture crop production. This review presents overviews about these constitutive and inducible responses towards biochemical adaptations in arid horticulture crops to protect themselves against insects.