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Above- belowground interactions


Plant parasitic nematodes and foliar insect herbivores are spatially separated, but they can indirectly influence each other and the plant through systemic changes to the plant’s chemical defense strategies and nutrition. This plant-mediated interaction is the focus of Kayleigh Hauri‘s Ph.D. project. Her study system includes the root-knot nematode, Colorado potato beetle and potatoes and Kayleigh uses chemical ecological methods, such as head space analysis and Y-tube bioassays, to collect data.