Objective Plants are able to recognize the chemical cues from neighbors and modulate their investment into growth and defense accordingly. While the effects and mechanisms of neighbor recognition on above ground plant-herbivore interactions have been studied extensively, they have rarely been investigated below ground, despite the importance of root herbivores and root-root signaling. The key objectives of DARES are 1) to investigate how does the presence of conspecific and heterospecific neighbors affects the root metabolism and defenses of Taraxacum officinale and its resistance against its main natural enemy, the white grub Melolontha melolotha, 2) to identify the type of chemical information that T. officinale uses to recognize neighbors (above ground volatiles, below ground volatiles or root exudates), and 3) to identify the chemical compounds from neighboring plants that T. officinale responds to. The results of DARES will allow me to assess the importance of associational resistance for below ground interactions. Furthermore, the gained knowledge will help to employ plant-based control strategies of T. officinale as a weed and M. melolontha as a grassland pest. Fields of science agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureagronomyplant protectionnatural sciencesbiological sciencesecology Keywords Plant-Herbivore Interactions Root Herbivores Associational Resistance Plant-Plant Recognition Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2015-EF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2015 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Coordinator UNIVERSITAET BERN Net EU contribution € 187 419,60 Address HOCHSCHULSTRASSE 6 3012 Bern Switzerland See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Espace Mittelland Bern / Berne Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 187 419,60
