Silicon as resistance inducer in to control black aphid Aphis craccivora Koch, 1854 in Phaseolus lunatus lima beans

ABSTRACT In Brazil, there are few records of insects associated with the cultivation of lima beans; among them, there is the black aphid Aphis craccivora Koch, 1854. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of silicon application on the resistance induction of lima bean plants, Phaseolus lunatus, to the black aphid A. craccivora. The experiment was conducted in the Entomology Laboratory of the Phytosanitary Sector of Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), Brazil. The effects of the following treatments on biological aspects of the insect were evaluated: silicon applied to soil; silicon applied to soil + leaf; silicon applied to leaf; and control, without silicon application. The following biological variables were evaluated: generation period, reproductive period, and the fertility and daily average of produced nymphs per female. Plant silicon and lignin content were also evaluated. A 1% solution of silicic acid (2.0 g of product diluted in 200 mL of water) was applied around the plant stem (on soil), 15 days after emergence. Leaf application was performed with a 1-L spray, 5 days after the soil application. The non-preference of A. craccivora on lima beans was also evaluated. The evaluations were performed after 48 and 72 hours of infestation by counting nymphs and adults at each leaf section. Silicon application reduces nymph production, thereby interfering in the biological aspects of A. craccivora. Therefore, it can be used in cowpea pest management programs.