Induced resistance to Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) via silicon application in sugarcane

Abstract

Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies include factors that induce host plant resistance. Silicon may increase plant resistance to attack by insect pests. In a greenhouse, two sugarcane cultivars RB72454 (moderately resistant) and SP801842 (susceptible), treated and untreated with silicon (Si) were infested with adult Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and checked after 60 days. The accumulation of silicon increased in the susceptible cultivar, resulting in a silicon content that was not significantly different than that of the untreated moderately resistant cultivar. The number of holes in the susceptible cultivar grown in silicon-treated soil was similar to that of the moderately resistant cultivar. Silicon application promotes cuticle thickening and the accumulation of crystals on the leaf stomata.