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The Use Of Extrafloral Nectar In Pest Management: Overcoming Context Dependence, Ian Matthew Jones, Suzanne Koptur, Eric J. Von Wettberg
The Use Of Extrafloral Nectar In Pest Management: Overcoming Context Dependence, Ian Matthew Jones, Suzanne Koptur, Eric J. Von Wettberg
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications
Extrafloral nectar (EFN) provides plants with indirect defence against herbivores by attracting predatory insects, predominantly ants. Decades of research have supported the role of EFN as an effective plant defence, dating back to Thomas Belt's description of ants on acacia in 1874. Despite this extensive body of literature, knowledge of the ecological role of EFN has rarely been applied in the field of pest management. We review the existing literature on the use of EFN in agriculture and consider the obstacles that have hindered this transition. Chief among these obstacles is the influence of ecological context on the outcome of …