Vol. 7, Issue 6, Part B (2025)

Plants have evolved sophisticated strategies to defend themselves from insect pests, employing both direct and indirect mechanisms. Direct defense involves physical and chemical barriers that work together to inhibit the growth, development, and reproduction of these pests. In contrast, indirect defense doesn't directly affect the insects but instead reduces their populations by releasing volatile organic compounds that attract the pests' natural enemies. Plant defense is a component of intricate interaction networks involving multiple organisms. Understanding these complex relationships necessitates biochemical, ecological, and molecular investigations, often in combination.