Credit: Therese van Wyk, adapted from graphic by Dubery, Mhlongo et al. in Metabolites
Bacteria in the root zone of crops like wheat, tomatoes and corn produce volatile organic compounds that can trigger enhanced plant growth and Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR). ISR helps the plant resist stresses like heat, pests and lack of water. Salicylic acid is known to trigger ISR in host plants.