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Potential of Silicon to Improve Biological Control of Fall Armyworm, <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> on Maize
oleh: Kennedy J. Zimba, Quentin D. Read, Muhammad Haseeb, Robert L. Meagher, Jesusa C. Legaspi
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2022-09-01 |
Deskripsi
Silicon (Si) accumulation in plants confers a mechanical barrier to insect herbivory and may alter plant chemistry to increase the attraction of natural enemies to host insect herbivores on Si−treated plants. The fall armyworm (FAW), <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i>, is a major insect pest of grain crops, including maize (<i>Zea mays</i> L.). This study examined whether Si supplementation alters maize volatile compounds that mediate host location in <i>Euthyrhynchus floridanus</i>, a generalist predator of FAW. A four-arm olfactometer was used to test the olfactory preference of nymphs and adults of <i>E. floridanus</i> to the odor of maize leaf materials from plants that were; Si−treated and infested, Si−treated without infestation, Si−deprived and infested, and Si−deprived without infestation. The probabilities of individual insects choosing between the four treatments were estimated using a multinomial generalized linear mixed model. There were no statistical differences in the olfactory preference of <i>E. floridanus</i> between Si−treated and Si−deprived maize leaf materials. However, the median estimate showed that nymphs were almost twice likely to be attracted to Si−supplemented leaf material, indicating a potential positive effect of Si. However, a more robust follow-up study is needed to further assess the impact of Si on <i>E. floridanus</i>.