To move or not to move: are insect movement strategies driven by plant-induced defences?

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Plants change chemically when damaged by insects. By showing how movement and feeding is related to these induced defences we can manipulate plant defences to resist insect attack in a more focused way. Our target insects are major pests against which we use large amounts of insecticide. Our research will decrease insect damage to crops using existing genetic machinery of plants as opposed to inserting 'novel' toxin-expressing genes. This project builds on Australia's strong record of achievement in agricultural and natural resource research by increasing understanding of the interplay between plant traits and insects. We will build cross-disciplinary research capacity training a new generation of biologists in an exciting area of science.