Identification of plant metabolites that induce plant disease resistance and plant defenses

The invention consists of a compound(s) from exudates that when injected into or sprayed onto plant leaves confers resistance to pathogens in a manner that depends on several known plant signal transduction components. We identified several candidate compounds, at least one of which has potent activity in conferring disease resistance (more are currently being tested). These likely act by engaging the endogenous host defense machinery, but may also have intrinsic anti-microbial activity against plant pathogens.