Seeds sense herbivores’ feces to avoid herbivory

December 9, 2025

Components in feces allow seed germination at a safe time

A joint study group comprising researchers from Kumamoto University, Chiba University, Meijo University, the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS), the University of the Ryukyus, and Shizuoka University discovered a mechanism by which the seeds of the perennial plant Japanese plantain (Plantago asiatica) sense chemicals in isopod feces, temporarily suspending germination, to avoid herbivory by isopods. They found that trehalose and abscisic acid (ABA) in isopod feces temporarily suppress germination, which resumes after water washes them away. They also observed in the field that, in the presence of isopod feces, plantain’s seeds predominantly germinate during rain, and herbivory by isopods is less likely to occur. These findings suggest that plantain’s seeds are likely to escape from herbivory by suppressing their germination on sunny days when isopods are active and facilitating it on rainy days when they are less active. Plant seeds have been known to regulate germination timing in response to environmental stimuli, such as light and temperature. The findings of this study revealed for the first time that seeds can also respond to herbivore stimuli and avert herbivory.

 

Original article

New Phytologist　doi: 10.1111/nph.70750

Akira Yamawo, Hayato Ishikawa, Masatsugu Takekawa, Nanako Nakashima, Haruna Ohsaki, Hiromi Mukai, Yuri Kanno, Mitsunori Seo, Yasushi Todoroki, Jun Takeuchi, Shinichiro Sawa,

"Isopod feces-mediated shifts in germination timing enhance seedling establishment".

Contact

Mitsunori Seo
Senior Visiting Scientist
Mass Spectrometry and Microscopy Unit