Mechanistic perceptions of the elicitorial resources from the marine kingdom - A paradigm shift in plant defense against insect pests

Conventional agriculture needs appropriate responses to address pest management issues, such as the expansion of pest habitats brought on by climate change and the resurgence of current pest control methods. Seaweeds are a great source of both plant defence stimulants and insecticidal agents, but research in this area is still undermining. Hence the current review was focused on shedding light onto the exceptional potentials of these compounds to cumulatively induce plant defense by activating salicylic, jasmonic as well as ethylene pathways and enabling a crosstalk among them with phytohormone as well as regulation of defense enzymes, catalase, glucanase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase, that makes the plant ever ready to combat insect herbivory. The abundance of peptides, proteins, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and phytohormones found in different seaweed extracts makes them ideal for use as bio-elicitors in plants to promote pest tolerance. With added capabilities of escalating Ca2+ influx, phytoalexin accumulation as well as activation of different stress related antioxidative enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase, dehydro-ascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, and Glutathione S-transferases in plants, seaweed compounds are attributed with the potentials to confer broad spectrum protection against wide range of pests, that occurs at an early phase. The advancement of knowledge regarding the use of seaweed as a pest and disease control agent for plants must incorporate these factors and rethink research and development procedures in order to produce goods and methods that support food security, sustainability, and the actual needs of various agricultural systems.