Influence of fusarium crown rot disease on semiochemical production by wheat plants

Plants infected by Fusarium spp. can emit volatile chemicals that differ both quantitatively and qualitatively from undamaged plants. In this experiment, pathogen infection increased the release of the secondary metabolites linalool, linalool oxide and beta-farnesene by wheat plants. The amounts of released metabolites varied significantly with Fusarium species. The time interval for the volatile collections within photophase also influenced the amount collected for each day. The increased emission of these compounds, as a result of infection, may be explained as a defence mechanism.