Editing Frass (section)

==Ecological considerations==
Contact with frass causes plants to secrete [[chitinase]] in response to its high [[chitin]] levels. Some frass, such as that of the [[fall armyworm]], can also reduce plants' herbivory defenses.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ray |first1=Swayamjit |last2=Alves |first2=Patrick |last3=Ahmad |first3=Imtiaz |last4=Gaffoor |first4=Iffa |last5=Acevedo |first5=Flor |last6=Peiffer |first6=Michelle |last7=Jin |first7=Shan |last8=Han |first8=Yang |last9=Shakeel |first9=Samina |last10=Felton |first10=Gary |last11=Luthe |first11=Dawn |title=Turnabout Is Fair Play: Herbivory-Induced Plant Chitinases Excreted in Fall Armyworm Frass Suppress Herbivore Defenses in Maize |journal=Plant Physiology |date=2016-03-15 |volume=171 |issue=1 |pages=694–706 |doi=10.1104/pp.15.01854 |pmid=26979328 |pmc=4854684 }}</ref> Frass is a [[microbial inoculant]], in particular a [[soil inoculant]], a source of desirable microbes, that promotes the formation of compost.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Houben |first1=David |last2=Daoulas |first2=Guillaume |last3=Faucon |first3=Michel-Pierre |last4=Dulaurent |first4=Anne-Maïmiti |title=Potential use of mealworm frass as a fertilizer: Impact on crop growth and soil properties |journal=Scientific Reports |date=March 13, 2020 |volume=10 |issue=4659 |page=4659 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-61765-x |pmid=32170150 |pmc=7069999 |bibcode=2020NatSR..10.4659H |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Many insect species, usually in their larval stages, accumulate their frass and cover themselves with it either to disguise their presence, or as a [[wikt:en:repugnatorial|repugnatorial]] covering.