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Open research questions in Insect-Plant Interactions and Control

138 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 504 Insect-Plant Interactions and Control papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The study only analyzed the CYP450 superfamily in potato, - The study used a limited number of compounds for the enzyme-substrate computational prediction, - The study did not investigate the actual metabolic products of the CYP450 enzymes

    Comprehensive Characterization of Cytochrome P450s Reveals Candidate Enzymes Involved in the Metabolic Fate of Absorbed Volatile Organic Compounds in Potato · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to investigate the actual metabolic products of the CYP450 enzymes, - The role of CYP450 enzymes in other plant species should be explored, - The potential applications of VOCs in modulating plant defense responses should be investigated

    Comprehensive Characterization of Cytochrome P450s Reveals Candidate Enzymes Involved in the Metabolic Fate of Absorbed Volatile Organic Compounds in Potato · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to determine the precise biochemical function of OsJAC1, - Investigation of the role of OsJAC1 in other plant defense responses, - Elucidation of the regulatory cascade from transcriptional activation to phytoalexin accumulation

    OsJAC1 Positively Regulates Brown Planthopper Resistance in Rice Through Priming of Diterpenoid Biosynthesis and Amplification of Jasmonic Acid Signaling · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of the molecular basis of OsJAC1-mediated defense. The need to elucidate the mechanistic basis for the enhanced transcriptional and metabolic response. The gap in knowledge about the role of OsJAC1 in regulating BPH resistance in rice.

    OsJAC1 Positively Regulates Brown Planthopper Resistance in Rice Through Priming of Diterpenoid Biosynthesis and Amplification of Jasmonic Acid Signaling · 2026 · DOI

  • Lack of cloned resistance genes for insect resistance. Limited understanding of plant-insect interactions. Need for sustainable genetic resources for aphid resistance in cereal crops.

    Gb3 encodes a unique kinase fusion protein conferring greenbug resistance in wheat · 2026 · DOI

  • While its long-term evolutionary benefits are well recognized, it remains unclear why facultative sex, which should allow lineages to balance the advantages of both sexual and asexual reproduction, is not more common.

    Mating allows asexual female wasps to produce offspring both sexually and asexually, but their sexual daughters have reduced fecundity · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite the recent expansion of legal Cannabis agriculture, particularly in the western United States, the ecological dynamics of arthropod communities associated with this crop remain poorly understood.

    Bugs in the Bud: An Entomological Road Trip Through Cannabis Fields of the West · 2026 · DOI

  • Differences in plant chemistry among chemotypes—particularly the presence and concentration of cannabinoids and other secondary metabolites—may further mediate arthropod colonization and persistence and could be investigated in future studies of insect communities on Cannabis .

    Bugs in the Bud: An Entomological Road Trip Through Cannabis Fields of the West · 2026 · DOI

  • Abstract BACKGROUND Rural education helps manage invasive insect pests (IIPs), but how it affects farmers' integrated IIP management remains unknown.

    How rural education affects farmers' integrated management of invasive insect pests? · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite its economic impact, its natural enemy complex remains poorly documented.

    First Record of Larval Parasitism in Disonycha glabrata (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) by Myiopharus ancilla (Walker) (Diptera: Tachinidae) · 2026 · DOI

  • Because only four females remated, the effects of multiple mating on female longevity and fecundity could not be evaluated robustly.

    Behavioural and Physiological Evidence of Monandry in the Tomato Fruit Borer, Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guen.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) · 2026 · DOI

  • Emamectin benzoate is widely used for control; however, resistance has emerged and the molecular basis remains unclear.

    Metabolic resistance to emamectin benzoate mediated by CYP4C175 and its dual regulatory functions in development and reproduction of Megalurothrips usitatus · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the associated biochemical and physiological responses that confer herbivory resistance remain unknown.

    Isoprene deters insect herbivory by priming plant hormone responses · 2025 · DOI

  • Piercing‐sucking herbivores secrete gel saliva, forming salivary sheaths that assist in feeding, however, the role of proteins within these sheaths in modulation of plant defenses remains poorly understood.

    An Insect Salivary Sheath Protein Triggers Plant Resistance to Insects and Pathogens as a Conserved HAMP · 2025 · DOI

  • However, how resistance alleles arise and spread across field populations remains largely understood.

    Population genomics reveal multiple independent origins of pesticide resistance in the polyphagous pest, Tetranychus urticae · 2025 · DOI

  • Despite its ecological importance, the gene regulatory mechanisms underlying aestivation remain poorly understood.

    The microRNA pathway regulates obligatory aestivation in the cabbage stem flea beetle Psylliodes chrysocephala · 2025 · DOI

  • However, little is known about their function in the oil crop rapeseed ( Brassica napus L.

    Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the JAZ Gene Family in Rapeseed Reveal JAZ2 and JAZ3 Roles in Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the broader regulatory functions of MYC2, particularly in secondary metabolism and stress signaling pathways, are still not fully understood.

    The Role of MYC2 Transcription Factors in Plant Secondary Metabolism and Stress Response Mechanisms · 2025 · DOI

  • The evolution of insect resistance to insecticide is often associated with strong fitness costs; however, how the fitness trade-offs operates remains poorly understood.

    GPCR–MAPK signaling pathways underpin fitness trade-offs in whitefly · 2024 · DOI

  • Limited information exists regarding how resistant rice plants defend against BPH populations with varying levels of virulence.

    Combined miRNA and mRNA sequencing reveals the defensive strategies of resistant YHY15 rice against differentially virulent brown planthoppers · 2024 · DOI

  • Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of how saline-alkali stress affects the key cotton pest Aphis gossypii Glover is poorly understood.

    Effects of saline-alkali stress on cotton growth and physiochemical expression with cascading effects on aphid abundance · 2024 · DOI

  • However, the key plant volatiles determining attraction or repulsion effects remain unknown.

    Volatiles of different resistant cotton varieties mediate the host preference of Mirid bug Apolygus lucorum · 2024 · DOI

  • However, the adoption of these green tactics by growers is limited by their high costs resulting from the insufficient integration of various components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

    A theoretical framework to improve the adoption of green Integrated Pest Management tactics · 2024 · DOI

  • Plant nutrition is connected to defense against insect herbivores, but the exact mechanism underlying the effect of the nitrogen (N) supply on the anti-herbivore capacity of eggplants (Solanum melongena) has not been studied in detail.

    Nitrogen Deficiency Enhances Eggplant Defense against Western Flower Thrips via the Induction of the Jasmonate Pathway · 2024 · DOI

  • Herbivorous insects pose a significant threat to agricultural productivity. The complexity of plant-herbivore interactions. The need for sustainable and effective pest management strategies.

    Herbivore-induced 4-ethylbenzaldehyde enhances maize resistance to Spodoptera frugiperda larvae · 2026 · DOI

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138 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 504 Insect-Plant Interactions and Control papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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