Plant-microbe and plant-insect interactions meet common grounds.

Abstract

Plant–microbe and plant–insect interactions are of global importance for agriculture and of high interest to many plant scientists, microbiologists and entomologists. Traditionally, plant–microbe and plant–insect interactions have been looked at as two separate issues, but in recent years it has become clear that the underlying physiological pathways in plants overlap substantially. The International Conference on Biotic Plant Interactions brought together scientists and students who are interested in plant pathology and in the beneficial interactions of plants with other organisms, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, nematodes, insects and other herbivores. To highlight this, two topics from this year’s conference – harmful biotic plant interactions, and the interactions of plants with beneficial microbial communities – are discussed in this article.