Volatiles released by undamaged plants mediate the adaptive growth strategies in neighbors

Abstract

Plants continuously emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can influence the physiology and behavior of neighboring plants. While the ecological role of stress-induced VOCs is well established, the function of constitutive VOCs released by undamaged plants in mediating plant–plant interactions remains less understood. Here, we demonstrate that barley plants can detect the growth rate of undamaged conspecific neighbors through constitutive VOCs and respond by modulating their growth–defense trade-off accordingly. Exposure to volatiles from cultivars with contrasting growth (slow or fast) triggered distinct shifts in biomass accumulation and gene expression in receiver plants, whereas VOCs from cultivars with similar growth rates had negligible effects. Transcriptomic analysis revealed cultivar-specific transcriptional reprogramming of growth- and defense-related pathways, suggesting that constitutive VOCs convey information about emitter identity and competitive vigor that receiver plants use to adaptively reallocate resources and prime stress responses in anticipation of competition. These findings uncover a previously unrecognized role for constitutive VOCs as reliable cues of emitter identity and vigor, mediating adaptive responses in neighboring plants under competitive scenarios.