Prix Marcel Benoist 2023: Ted Turlings deciphers the signals of wounded plants

Scientist Ted Turlings, professor at the University of Neuchâtel, has been awarded the Marcel Benoist Prize, lʹone of the most prestigious awards in Swiss scientific research. His work, which began 40 years ago in the USA, revealed how plants, particularly maize, emit signals when threatened, attracting predators from their attackers. Applied to lʹagriculture, these discoveries would make it possible to reduce the use of pesticides, or even replace them with ecological alternatives.