Induced Volatile Organic Compounds by Halyomorpha halys infestation in different crops

Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs) are those chemical compounds which are gaseous and possess high vapor pressure in normal indoor condition (temperature and pressure) and are vaporised quickly to enter the surrounding atmosphere. Biologically speaking VOCs are emitted naturally as secondary metabolites by living organisms like plants,insects,animals and microbes, also called as biogenic VOCs (BVOCs). They have a crucial role in plant-insect interactions such as to attract pollinators, defense aganist herbivores, presence of food in a specific place, and also communication between plants. The comparatively low boiling points, typically they are below 250 °C, allowing them to easily convert from a liquid/solid (condensed) state to a gas phase, and their low molecular weight, typically less than 300 g/mol helps in their volatility. The VOCs are categorized as Hydrocarbon classes (alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and alicyclic compounds; benzene and its derivatives; chlorinated, fluorinated, brominated, iodinated), Oxygenated Compounds (Alcohols,Aldehydes,Ketones,Ethers,Esters,Acids), Nitrogen and Sulfur Compounds(Amines,Amides,Nitriles,Sulfides,Thiols) Terpenes and Terpenoids(Monoterpenes,Sesquiterpenes,Isoprene). Plants use these VOCs as a method to communicate with plants and themselves known as semiochemicals. These semiochemcial allow plants to plan responses even when they are not physically attached, this overcomes limitations of vascular signaling. The semiochemcials emitted can convey detailed information about the plant's condition, such as the presence of threats. The semiochemicals are essential for the communication systems of insects also, influencing a wide range of behaviors and ecological interactions such as sex, foraging and feeding, socail organization,defense and habitat selection. The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is an insect native to Asia, accidentally introduced to the USA and recently found in parts of Europe. They are major agricultural pest feeding on fruits, vegetable and field crops. They can cause significant damage like scarring,deformations and reduced sales of produce. Apples, beans, corn, tomato and soybeans are at high-risk of attack from this stink bug. Apple trees exhibit patterns of volatile organic compound emissions that can vary seasonally and in response to environmental factors, with important implications for plant-insect interactions and agricultural pest management. In this project, we are going to check whether the apple plant is changing its volatilome following an infestation by the stink bug and also is the stink bug changing its emissions when it finds a valuable food source (like the apple).