Investigating the role of chemical ecology in plant-pathogen, vector, and secondary consumer interactions and their consequences for integrated pest management

Phytopathogens modify chemical communication between host plants and herbivorous vectors of those pathogens. These chemical cues often attract vectors to sources of inoculum and facilitate the further spread of the pathogens. Recent investigations have demonstrated that secondary consumers also respond to the same pathogen-induced cues that affect the behavior of vectors. Therefore, efforts to manipulate the behavior of natural enemies to improve biological control may yield unpredictable outcomes since coincident volatiles are induced by herbivory and pathogen attacks. We suggest that case-specific analyses of the costs and benefits of these multitrophic interactions are required to translate biological findings into integrated pest management practices.