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Prof Toby Bruce, Senior Research Scientist in the Biological Chemistry department at Rothamsted Research, has a background in Biology and a PhD in Chemical Ecology. His research focuses on host location in insects, alarm and sex pheromone signals and plant defence. He has 52 scientific publications which include high impact journals such as PNAS, Ecology Letters and Trends in Plant Science. As well as advancing fundamental aspects of insect host location, he devises strategies for utilising semiochemicals for insect pest management at the field level ranging from plant activators that switch on plant defence to pheromone monitoring systems. He is interested in finding new ways to protect crops from pests. He has obtained BBSRC and EU funding for crop protection related projects including one on transgenic wheat emitting aphid alarm pheromone (BB/G004781/1) and SCPRID funding for a new project on stemborer resistant maize that involves collaboration with ICRISAT and ICIPE in Kenya. He is convenor of the Association of Applied Biologists Biocontrol group and a Visiting Professor at the Univeristy of Greenwich Natural Resources Institute.

Principal Investigator

Project Leader

Member

Project Leader

  Exploring adaptive immunity in plants

In their struggle for life, plants strongly rely on inducible defense mechanisms. These defense responses become activated when a plant is attacked by harmful pathogens or insects. Induced defence involves a wide spectrum of different chemical and physical defence barriers, ranging from the induction of toxic metabolites that target the attacker's physiology, to cell wall appositions that prevent invasions by pathogenic fungi. Despite this diversity in defensive strategies, the inducible defense arsenal is not always sufficient to protect the plant against intrusion by pathogens and insects. This is why plants have evolved an additional, more sophisticated, defense system that allows them to fine-tune their inducible defense system. Interestingly, this induced resistance is not based on direct defence activation by the inducing agent, but on a faster and stronger activation of inducible defence mechanisms at the moment the plant is exposed to stress. This sensitization for defence is called "priming". Because priming allows the plant to adjust its inducible defence system to the environmental conditions, it can be regarded as a form of adaptive immunity. Interestingly, stimulation of the plant's adaptive immune system through priming has already been shown to yield broad-spectrum resistance with minimal reductions in plant growth and seed set. This suggests an important ecological function of plant adaptive immunity, which increases the plant's ability to survive in hostile environments.
The main objectives of this research proposal are to
1) discover novel key mechanisms by which plants exploit their adaptive immune system, and
2) critically evaluate the ecological advantages that adaptive immunity provides for plants under field conditions.
To this end, a multidisciplinary approach will be followed, using state-of-the-art techniques in the field of molecular biology, plant physiology and plant ecology.

  Integrated Control of the Bean Seed Beetle, Bruchus rufimanus

Current insecticides are ineffective in reducing damage to bean crops by bean seed beetle, Bruchus rufimanus, resulting in loss of opportunity for growers in lucrative markets for human consumption due to crop rejection on standards of quality. Lack of precision in spray timing has resulted in increased applications, which in turn increases the risk of pesticide resistance. This project aims to develop a semiochemical-based monitoring system as part of an IPM strategy including resistant varieties. Effective control of bruchids is essential for growers to expand beans as a valuable break crop in both organic and conventional arable farming systems. Greater knowledge of the biology of the pest will allow more effective control with insecticides and a monitoring system will provide a reliable risk indicator and a means to determine the need or the optimum timing for sprays, reducing multiple applications and risk of resistance. Improvements in pesticide application will deliver more effective control and the identification of genetic resources of plant resistance for breeding programmes will enhance a package of IPM approaches to improve insecticide timing, reduce risk of resistance and ultimately reduce reliance on insecticides thus enabling sustainable bean production in the UK.
Objectives
1. To advance the knowledge of the biology of Bruchus rufimanus and to identify features in its life cycle and behaviour that may be influenced by local met conditions.
2. To improve the efficacy of existing insecticides targeting adult beetles and investigate the potential of alternative chemicals targeting eggs and larvae.
3. To develop a monitoring system based on species specific sex pheromones or plant volatile mixtures for bruchid attraction and a prediction model to optimise insecticide applications.
4. To investigate naturally occurring variation in bruchid susceptibility of UK bean varieties and breeding lines from UK and international germplasm collections.

Member

  Augmentation with synergists, of the effects of natural plant activators against pest aphids assessment

The aim of the project will be to optimise natural plant defence chemistry by applying a plant activator, whilst at the same time maximising the inhibition of the target insects’ defensive enzymes by the use of a synergist. A straight mixture of these two components may give the required effect on the insect, but it may be that the components will need to be applied separately, at different times, to achieve the optimum effect (temporal synergism). The different combinations of activator and synergist treatments will be tested, initially under laboratory conditions, against the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, and the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi on wheat. The study will then be extended to a field trial, where the most effective treatments will be tested against natural cereal aphid populations under field conditions, to demonstrate their potential for further investigation.
Objectives
1. Investigate the effects of formulations of plant activators and synergists, including temporal parameters, alone and in combination in developmental bioassays against the pest aphid species Sitobion avenae on wheat.
2. Investigate the effects of formulations of plant activators and synergists, including temporal parameters, alone and in combination in developmental bioassays against the pest aphid species Rhopalosiphum padi on wheat.
3. Determine the effects of the best formulations of plant activators and synergists, identified in 1 and 2, on the volatile profile of wheat for potential effects on aphid and aphid parasitoid behaviour.
4. Determine the efficacy of the best formulations from 1 and 2 against natural populations of the target aphid species in a replicated plot field trial

  Chemical ecology of pest and beneficial arthropods : Understanding and exploiting semiochemical based mechanisms

Chemical ecology is the study of interactions between organisms as mediated by naturally produced chemical signals (semiochemicals) that transmit information both within and between species. Semiochemicals act by non-toxic mechanisms and the project investigates how these can repel pest insects and attract their natural enemies. The project defines the biological occurrence and role of semiochemicals. It focuses on interactions of pest insects with their hosts and beneficial insects and how blends of volatiles are used for host recognition by insects as well as avoidance of non-hosts. Insect neurophysiology, particularly relating to olfaction, is used to study the basis of host location. Our pest targets are primarily phytophagous insects that damage crops but also include haematophagous insects of medical and veterinary significance. Advanced analytical and electrophysiological techniques are used to study semiochemicals at the very low levels produced by plants and insects and specialised bioassays determine their effects on insect behaviour and plant defence. Plant hosts of phytophagous insects are not passive victims and possess natural defence mechanisms that act directly against pests and indirectly by tritrophic interactions with predators and parasitoids. Thus plant defence can be induced or primed by treatment of plants with activator semiochemicals. Primed plants elicit accentuated and more rapid defence responses when subsequently attacked but defence is not constitutively upregulated. Semiochemicals are deployed in the field after preliminary studies in the laboratory. Strategies for utilising semiochemicals for insect pest management at the field level include switching on plant defence with plant activators, manipulation of host location cues in “push-pull” systems, deployment of aphid alarm pheromone signals and development of trapping systems based on attractive semiochemicals.

  Creating smallholder led growth through ‘push-pull’ technologies in Eastern Africa

Maize and sorghum are the principal food and cash crops for millions of the poorest people in eastern and southern Africa. However, stemborers and Striga weeds are two of the major biotic constraints to increased crop production in these areas. In a previous project we developed a simple and relatively inexpensive technology, the ‘push-pull’ strategy, that puts stemborer and Striga control within the reach of African farmers. This involves trapping stemborers on highly susceptible trap plants (pull) whilst driving them away from the maize crop using repellent inter-crops (push). The Striga control component is based on the use of inter-crops that act through a combination of mechanisms, including abortive germination of seeds that fail to develop and attach on the host. Plants, which repel stemborers and also inhibit and eliminate Striga, have also been identified. During the last five years, on-farm trials with more than 3,500 farmers in 15 districts of Kenya and 5 districts in Uganda have confirmed that these technologies are effective and have significant impacts on food security and income generation for resource-poor maize farmers.

The aim of this project is to address second generation research questions associated with large scale extension and diffusion of ‘push-pull’ technologies among small holder farmers in high population density areas in eastern Africa for cereal stemborers and Striga weed control and to develop exit strategies for a number of selected districts in Kenya. For long-term sustainability of the ‘push-pull’ system and its placement on a strong scientific foundation, there is a need (i) to develop tools for quality control of the performance of the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ components, (ii) to enhance understanding of soil nutrient dynamics in long term ‘push-pull’ fields, and (iii) to study and solve emerging problems of previously unrecognised pests and diseases eg a phytoplasma disease of the Napier grass trap crop

  Delivery of semiochemicals within plant-pest natural enemy systems

The main objective of this project is to develop the most appropriate methods for delivering semiochemicals to the crop environment to achieve the intended effect on target plant-pest-natural enemy systems and to test for potential effects on non-targets. By influencing the colonisation of crop plants and subsequent pest population dynamics, semiochemicals can thereby be used to disrupt or direct pests away from the crop and attract them to areas where they can be controlled (the “push-pull” strategy). Semiochemicals act through behavioural mechanisms rather than by toxicity and thus offer benign means of crop protection with which to minimise, supplement, or in the long-term replace, use of broad-spectrum pesticides in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). To demonstrate effective manipulation of plant-pest-natural enemy systems, semiochemicals arising from the previous Defra programme (and in future PS2101), successful representative complexes (cereal aphids, oilseed rape beetles, pea and bean weevil and comparable aphids and dipterous stemborers or midges) will be used.
Objectives
1. Identify optimal delivery systems for plant activators (typified by cis-jasmone) and assess impact on representative crop/pest scenarios (initially cereal aphids, extending to oilseed rape and legume systems)
2. Determine methods for exploitation of host plant recognition and avoidance cues by pests in novel crop protection strategies
3. Evaluate the potential of rhizosphere allelopathy in pest control approaches
Investigate the effects of semiochemicals from objectives 1-3 on tritrophic interactions and non-target organisms

  European Network for the Durable Exploitation of crop protection strategies ENDURE

ENDURE aims to create a coordinated structure that takes advantage of alternative technologies, will build on advances in Agricultural Sciences, Ecology, Behaviour, Genetics, Economics and Social Sciences and will connect researchers with other stakeholders in extension, industry, policy-making and civil society. The multi-disciplinary and cross-sector approach aims to foster the development and implementation of strategies to rationalise and reduce pesticide inputs.
The goals of ENDURE are to:
a. bring together research capacity and resources that are currently fragmented across Europe. ENDURE aims to share knowledge and people, and pool facilities, biological resources and equipment through a joint crop protection research programme and to create a coordinated and geographically decentralised European resource facility, a ‘virtual laboratory’, on pest control.
b. enhance the research-to-R&D innovation process by creating working relationships between researchers and practitioners in extension and farming.
c. bring in industry, policy-makers and civil society to help define the research agenda.
d. pass on knowledge, know-how and resources through training, education, and dissemination by targeting farmers, advisors, researchers, policy-makers and civil society. The European Pest Control Competence Centre to be developed will become a source of knowledge and expertise to support public policy-makers, regulatory bodies, extension services and other crop protection stakeholders.
e. ENDURE will build a sustainable, coherent and transnational institution comprised of leading European crop protection research, R&D, extension, and industry organisations.

  Futher development of a framework for the practical application of semiochemicals in field crops

The main objective of this project is to develop a framework for the practical control of insect pests by means of semiochemicals. These are non-toxic, insect-produced (pheromones) or plant-derived chemicals that act as signals between organisms to cause natural behavioural or developmental changes in the recipient. As such, they can be used to manipulate populations of both pest and beneficial species and are perceived as a means of answering the demand for the reduction of intrinsically toxic materials in the environment.
The semiochemical signals used will include attractants, identified either from the pest or from its host plant, and also semiochemicals that mask the attractiveness of the host plant, odours or extracts from non-host plants and chemicals that are repellent to the pest. Compounds will be sourced from behaviourally active semiochemicals identified and synthesised/extracted in other previous research projects, principally PS2101 "Identification and provision of potential semiochemical tools for use in integrated crop management systems" and PS2105 "Delivery of semiochemicals within plant-pest-natural enemy systems"and current projects "Futher work on semiochemical tools for use within plant pest natural enemy systems in ICM" PS2114.
Since semiochemicals seldom act alone and are often synergised by others, particularly those from the host plant, this project will largely concentrate on the use of plant- derived compounds, with selected use of pheromones where there is a clear advantage in their use over compounds released by plants. Due to their non-toxic modes of action, the deployment of semiochemicals for future alternative plant protection technologies requires some form of combined pest control strategy such as the “push-pull” or habitat management strategy.

  Identification and provision of potential semiochemical tools for use in integrated crop protection

The main objective of the proposed strategic research is to identify and provide semiochemicals, i.e. chemicals that control pest or natural enemy behaviour and development or act as signals to switch on defence effects in plants, as alternatives to conventional pesticides. By influencing the colonisation of crop plants and subsequent pest population dynamics, semiochemicals can thereby be used to disrupt or direct pests away from the crop and attract them to areas where they can be controlled (the “push-pull” strategy). Semiochemicals act through behavioural mechanisms rather than by toxicity and thus offer benign means of crop protection with which to minimise, supplement, or in the long-term replace, use of broad-spectrum pesticides in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Chemically-based interactions between plants and other plants or microorganisms can similarly suppress weeds or diseases. In lower input systems, including organic farming, the use of semiochemicals complements the greater exploitation of biological control agents, selective pesticides and pest-resistant cultivars.

Objectives
1. Identify new plant stress signals that can act as plant activators and determine effects up to the third trophic level.
2. Define host plant location and avoidance of unsuitable potential hosts so as to identify new semiochemicals. In addition to pests, this will also include parasitoids and predators.
3. Determine the potential value of exploiting rhizosphere allelopathy, in controlling soil-pest/plant interactions, and suppressing competitive weeds.
4. Identify new strategies for exploiting insect predators and parasitoids via semiochemical tools.

  Integrated control of wheat blossom midge

The orange wheat blossom midge came to prominence in 1993 when a widespread outbreak caused much damage to UK crops. Farmers and agronomists have difficulty in assessing risk in the field and in consequence often adopt a prophylactic approach to control, treating around 200,000 ha each year. Such treatment may be poorly targeted, failing to obtain effective control and having an unnecessary impact on the environment.
The biology of the pest is complex with larvae hibernating in the soil for several years, some pupate each year according to soil temperature and moisture in May. The proportion hatching varies considerably from year to year, as does the coincidence between flights of midges and the vulnerable ear emergence stage of wheat crops. There is therefore considerable potential to reduce insecticide usage, and also to improve the control of the pest, if the risk to crops can be quantified more easily. Although sticky and water traps have been used to monitor wheat blossom midges, they also catch many other insects, so that identifying and counting any wheat blossom midges caught is not easy.
The aim of this project is to develop an integrated control strategy for this pest based on the use of more resistant varieties and trapping systems for both the midge and its associated parasitoid to determine the need for selective insecticide treatment.

  Mechanisms of plant defence priming using seed treatments

This project will establish the science underpinning our recent discovery that soaking seeds of plants in plant defence hormones confers long-lasting pest resistance in plants grown from these seeds. It will investigate the fundamental mechanisms behind priming of defence against pests and diseases by seed treatments with jasmonic acid (JA) and the nonprotein amino acid, beta-aminobutyric acid (BABA). The primary objectives are:

1. To determine the extent to which JA and BABA seed treatments directly stimulate defence even without any biotic attack, and the extent to which they act via priming. This objective will be achieved by investigating (i) transcriptional profiles, and (ii) profiles of volatile emissions, in control and seed-treated plants before and after pest attack.

2. To examine the contribution of chromatin remodelling and DNA methylation to the priming of defence-related genes in seed-treated plants.

3. To investigate the impacts of seed treatments with JA and BABA on (i) direct defences against herbivores, (ii) indirect defences against herbivores, and (iii) pathogen resistance.

4. To test the hypothesis that JA and BABA act independently, providing additive (or even synergistic) effects on defence when used as a combined seed treatment.

The project will generate data relating to plant responses to JA and BABA seed treatments at three levels: gene expression, volatile emission and susceptibility to insect attack. Molecular and biochemical changes will be compared between primed and un-primed plants with and without subsequent infestation by insects. Insect bioassays will put the observed changes in gene expression and volatile emission in an ecological context, both in terms of interactions with herbivores and in terms of tritrophic interactions with natural enemies of the herbivores.

  Re-bugging the system: Promoting adoption of alternative pest management strategies in field crop systems (RELU)

1. Quantify the marginal social and economic benefits of a reduction in the use of pesticides in UK cereal systems .
2. Evaluate the constraints to, and incentives for, adoption of non-insecticidal pest management technologies, comparing existing and novel alternative technologies.
3. Evaluate the relative importance of natural enemy diversity and abundance in providing effective pest control in cereal-based systems.
4. Evaluate the effects of scale of adoption on the effectiveness and sustainability of alternative pest control technologies.
5. Advance understanding of the roles of semiochemicals and identify new opportunities for practical exploitation.
6. Develop new strategies for non-insecticidal pest control integrating both habitat manipulation and semiochemical technologies.
7. To develop a framework for the future development of alternative pest control technologies which integrates scientific and socioeconomic research.
8. To estimate the likely private costs of the adoption of bio-control techniques.
9. To consider the role of agri-environmental policy on the promotion of biological control technologies.
10. To consider the consumer demand for differentiated ‘pesticide-reduced’ food products and the feasibility of passing such a price signal to the farm gate.
11. Consider the potential for retailer led initiatives to promote adoption of biological control.
12. To develop a fully integrated Bioeconomic model of pest control, based upon strong scientific and economic research, integrating temporal and spatial scale.

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http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9912-0605

Hegde, M., Oliveira, J.N., da Costa, J.G., Loza-Reyes, E., Bleicher, E., Santana, A.E.G., Caulfield, J.C., Mayon, P., Dewhirst, S.Y., Bruce, T.J.A., Pickett, J.A., Birkett, M.A. (2012) Aphid antixenosis in cotton is activated by the natural plant defence elicitor cis-jasmone. Phytochemistry 78: 81-88.

Jayanthi, P.D.K., Woodcock, C.M., Caulfield, J., Birkett, M.A., Bruce, T.J.A. (2012) Isolation and Identification of Host Cues from Mango, Mangifera indica, That Attract Gravid Female Oriental Fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. J. Chem. Ecol. 38: 361-369.

Pickett, J.A., Ardottir, G.I., Birkett, M.A., Bruce, T.J.A., Chamberlain, K., Khan, Z.R., Midega, C.A.O., Smart, L.E., Woodcock, C.M. (2012) Aspects of insect chemical ecology: exploitation of reception and detection as tools for deception of pests and beneficial insects. Physiol. Entomol. 37: 2-9.

Tamiru, A., Bruce, T.J.A., Midega, C.A.O., Woodcock, C.M., Birkett, M.A., Pickett, J.A., Khan, Z.R. (2012) Oviposition Induced Volatile Emissions from African Smallholder Farmers' Maize Varieties. J. Chem. Ecol. 38: 231-234.

Yu, X.-D., Pickett, J., Ma, Y.-Z., Bruce, T., Napier, J., Jones, H.D., Xia, L.-Q. (2012) Metabolic Engineering of Plant-derived (E)-β-farnesene Synthase Genes for a Novel Type of Aphid-resistant Genetically Modified Crop Plants. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 54: 282-299.

Luna E, Bruce TJA, Roberts MR, Flors V and Ton J (2012) Next Generation Systemic Acquired Resistance. Plant Physiol. 158: 844-853.

Lebesa, L.N., Khan, Z.R., Krueger, K., Bruce, T.J.A., Hassanali, A., Pickett, J.A. (2012) Farmers' knowledge and perceptions of blister beetles, Hycleus spp. (Coleoptera: Meloidae), as pest herbivores of Desmodium legumes in western Kenya. Int. J. Pest Manage. 58: 165-174.

Bruce TJA (2012) GM as a route for delivery of sustainable crop protection. J. Exp. Bot. 63: 537-541. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jxb/err281

Tamiru A, Bruce TJA, Woodcock CM, Caulfield JC, Midega CAO, Ogol CKPO, Mayon P, Birkett MA, Pickett JA, Khan ZR (2011) Maize landraces recruit egg and larval parasitoids in response to egg deposition by a herbivore. Ecology Letters 14: 1075-1083. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01674.x

Bruce TJA & Pickett JA (2011) Perception of plant volatile blends by herbivorous insects – Finding the right mix. Phytochemistry 72: 1605–1611. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2011.04.011  

Lebesa LN, Khan ZR, Hassanali A, Pickett JA, Bruce TJA, Skellern M and KrÜGer K, Responses of the blister beetle Hycleus apicicornis to visual stimuli. Physiol Entomol. 36: 220-229.

Björkman M et al. (2011) Phytochemicals of Brassicaceae in plant protection and human health – Influences of climate, environment and agronomic practice. Phytochemistry, 72: 538-556.

Tamiru A, Getu E, Jembere B & Bruce TJA (2011). Effects of temperature and relative humidity on the development and fecundity of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Bull. Entomol. Res. 102: 9-15.

Bruce TJA, Martin JL, Smart LE, Pickett JA (2011) Development of semiochemical attractants for monitoring bean seed beetle, Bruchus rufimanus. Pest Management Science doi: 67: 1303-08

Hedge M, Oliveira JN, da Costa JG, Bliecher E, Santana AEG, Bruce TJA, Caulfield J, Dewhirst SY, Woodcok CM, Pickett JA, Birkett MA (2011) Identification of Semiochemicals Released by Cotton, Gossypium hirsutum, Upon Infestation by the Cotton Aphid, Aphis gossypii. J. Chem. Ecol. 37: 741-750.

Matthes MC, Bruce TJA, Chamberlain K, Pickett JA, Napier JA (2011) Emerging roles in plant defense for cis-jasmone-induced cytochrome P450 CYP81D11 Plant Signalling and Behavior 6: 563 - 565

Khan ZR, Midega CAO, Pittchar J, Pickett JA, Bruce TJA (2011) Push-pull technology: a conservation agriculture approach for integrated management of insect pests, weeds and soil health in Africa. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 1: 162-170

Oluwafemi S, Bruce TJA, Pickett JA, Ton J & Birkett MA (2011) Behavioral Responses of the Leafhopper, Cicadulina storey China, a Major Vector of Maize Streak Virus, to Volatile Cues from Intact and Leafhopper-Damaged Maize. J. Chem. Ecol. 37: 40-48

Padmaja PG, Woodcock CM, Bruce TJA (2010) Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses of Sorghum Shoot Fly, Atherigona soccata, to Sorghum Volatiles. J. Chem. Ecol. 36: 1346-1353

Birkett, M.A., Bruce, T.J.A. and Pickett, J.A. (2010) Repellent activity of Nepeta grandiflora and Nepeta clarkei (Lamiacease) against the cereal aphid, Sitobion avenae (Homoptera: Aphididae).  Phytochemistry Letters 3: 139-142

Matthes M, Pickett JA, Bruce TJA, Ton J & Napier (2010) The transcriptome of cis-jasmone induced resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana and its role in indirect defence. Planta 232: 1163-80

Khan ZR, Midega CAO, Bruce TJA, Hooper AM & Pickett JA (2010) Exploiting phytochemicals for developing a ‘push–pull’ crop protection strategy for cereal farmers in Africa. J Exp. Bot. 61: 4185-4196

Bruce TJA (2010) Tackling the threat to food security caused by crop pests in the new millennium. Food Security 2: 133-141

Bruce TJA, Midega CAO, Birkett MA, Pickett JA & Khan ZR (2010) Is quality more important than quantity? Insect behavioural responses to changes in a volatile blend after stemborer oviposition on an African grass. Biology Letters 6: 314-317  

Bruce TJA, Smart LE & Pickett (2010) Insect pests of wheat: a worldwide perspective. In “The World Wheat Book – a history of wheat breeding – vol 2” Eds.  A Bonjean, W Angus &  M van Ginkel,  Lavoisier, Paris.

Bruce TJA (2010) Exploiting plant signals in sustainable agriculture. In “Plant Communication from Ecological Perspective” Eds. Velemir Ninkovic & František Baluška Ch 12. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg.

Webster B, Bruce TJA, Hardie J & Pickett JA (2010) Volatiles functioning as host cues in a blend become non-host cues when presented alone to the black bean aphid. Animal Behaviour 79: 451-457 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.11.028

Webster B, Gezan S, Bruce TJA, Hardie J & Pickett JA (2010) Between plant and diurnal variation in quantities and ratios of volatile compounds emitted by Vicia faba plants. Phytochemistry 71: 81-89 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2009.09.029

Ukeh DA, Birkett MA, Bruce TJA, Allan EJ, Pickett JA, Mordue AJ (2009) Behavioural responses of the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, to host (stored-grain) and non-host plant volatiles. Pest Management Science http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ps.1828

Midega, C. A. O., Khan, Z. R., Van den Berg, J., Ogol, C. K. P. O., Bruce, T. J., Pickett, J. A. (2009) Non-target effects of the `push-pull' habitat management strategy: parasitoid activity and soil fauna abundance. Crop Prot. 28: 1045-1051.

Mendesil, E., Bruce, T., Woodcock, C., Caulfield, J., Seyoum, E. and Pickett, J. Semiochemicals used in Host Location by the Coffee berry Borer, Hypothenemus hampei. J. Chem. Ecol. 35: 944 - 950.

Whitney HM, Chittka L, Bruce TJA, Glover BJ (2009) Conical epidermal cells allow bees to grip flowers and increase foraging efficiency. Curr. Biol. 19: 948-953.

Bruce TJA, Smart LE (2009) Orange wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana, management. Outlooks Pest Manag. 20: 89-92.

Webster B, Bruce TJA, Pickett JA & Hardie J. (2008) Olfactory recognition of host plants in the absence of host-specific volatile compounds: Host location in the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae. Communicative & Integrative Biology 1: 167-169.

Webster B, Bruce TJA, Dufour S, Birkemeyer C, Birkett MA, Hardie, J & Pickett, JA (2008) Identification of volatile compounds used in host location by the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae. J. Chem. Ecol. 34: 1153-1161.

Bruce TJA, Matthes M, Chamberlain K, Woodcock CM, Mohib A, Webster B, Smart LE, Birkett MA, Pickett JA & Napier J (2008) cis-Jasmone induces Arabidopsis genes that affect the chemical ecology of multritrophic interactions with aphids and their parasitoids. PNAS 105: 4553-4558.

Bruce TJA, Matthes MC, Napier JA, & Pickett JA (2007) Stressful �memories� of plants: evidence and possible mechanisms. Plant Sci. 173: 603-608.

Bruce TJA & Pickett JA (2007) Plant defence signalling induced by biotic attacks. Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 10: 387-392.

Bayram A, Gultekin A, Bruce TJ & Gezan, S (2007) Factors associated with mortality of the overwintering generation of Sesamia nonagrioides under field conditions Phytoparasitica 35: 490-506.

Bruce TJA, Hooper AM, Ireland LA, Jones OT, Martin JL, Smart LE, Oakley J & Wadhams LJ (2007) Development of a pheromone trap monitoring system for orange wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana, in the UK. Pest Manag. Sci. 63: 49-56.

Beale MH, Birkett MA, Bruce TJA, Chamberlain K, Field LM, Huttly AK, Martin JL, Parker R, Phillips AL, Pickett JA, Prosser IM, Shewry PR, Smart LE, Wadhams LJ, Woodcock CM & Zhang Y (2006) Aphid alarm pheromone produced by transgenic plants affects aphid and parasitoid behavior. PNAS 103: 10509-13.

Pickett JA, Bruce TJA, Chamberlain K, Hassanali A, Khan ZR, Matthes MC, Napier JA, Smart LE, Wadhams LJ & Woodcock CM (2006) Plant volatiles yielding new ways to exploit plant defence. In �Chemical Ecology: from Gene to Ecosystem.� Eds. M Dicke & W Takken. Springer, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Ch. 11. pp. 161-173.

Bruce TJA, Birkett MA, Blande J, Hooper AM, Martin JL, Khambay B, Prosser I, Smart LE & Wadhams LJ (2005) Response of economically important aphids to components of Hemizygia petiolata essential oil. Pest Manag. Sci. 61: 1115-1121.

Bruce TJA, Wadhams LJ & Woodcock CM (2005) Insect host location: a volatile situation. Trends Plant Sci. 10: 269-274.  

Birkett MA, Bruce TJA, Martin JA, Smart LE, Oakley J & Wadhams, LJ (2004). Responses of female orange wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana, to wheat panicle volatiles. J. Chem. Ecol. 30: 1319-1328

Bruce TJA, Martin JL, Pickett JA, Pye BJ, Smart LE & Wadhams LJ (2003) cis-Jasmone treatment induces resistance in wheat plants against the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Homoptera: Aphididae). Pest Manag. Sci. 59: 1031 - 1036

Bruce TJA, Pickett JA & Smart LE (2003) cis-Jasmone switches on plant defence against insects. Pesticide Outlook 14: 96 - 98

Bruce, TJ & Cork, A (2001) Electrophysiological and behavioral responses of female Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) to compounds identified in flowers of African marigold, Tagetes erecta. J. Chem. Ecol. 27: 1119 - 1131