Plant defends itself from pests with mustard bomb Cruciferous plants use a sophisticated defense system, known as the mustard oil bomb, to get rid of their enemies: If plant tissues are wounded, glucosinolates and an enzyme known as myrosinase come into contact, and, as a result, toxic metabolites are formed which deter most insects. This mechanism, however, has no negative effect on flea beetles, according to scientists. Flea beetles are even ...
May 9, 2014 - Science Daily
Beetles that taste like mustard ( Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology ) Cruciferous plants use a sophisticated defense system, known as the mustard oil bomb, to get rid of their enemies: If plant tissues are wounded, glucosinolates and an enzyme known as myrosinase come into contact, and, as a result, toxic metabolites are formed which deter most insects. This mechanism, however, has no negative effect on flea beetles ...
May 8, 2014 - EurekAlert!