Cowpea’s soil signals recruit wasps to defend against leafminers

New research shows cowpea plants defend against leafminers by releasing airborne volatiles that attract parasitic wasps, and by exuding root compounds that reshape the surrounding soil microbiome. This soil-borne defense boosts the plant’s ability to recruit wasps even when not attacked, creating a multi-step indirect defense—potentially guiding sustainable pest management, though real-world duration of the effect remains uncertain.