ABSTRACT
Some consideration of crop responses to pests and diseases is warranted because they can interact with crop responses to abiotic factors and involve the evolution of volatiles by a plant and the detection of volatiles emitted by other plants. Crucial to the success of induced resistance in crop production is an understanding of the interactions, whole-plant responses, and trade-offs likely to be present when modifying these complex signaling systems. The environmental cues used by pests in choosing host plants can include the quality and intensity of reflected radiation, volatile chemicals, tactile sensations, or taste. A major feature of most natural plant communities and many unsprayed crop plants is that they exhibit relatively little damage from insect pests, even though there are many potential insect pest species in their environment. Abiotic stresses can increase, decrease, or have no effect on plant susceptibility to pests and diseases.
