Abstract
The damage caused by insect pests in plants can considerably affect their development and crop yield. It can also cause the activation of biochemical defense mechanisms in the plant, combined with the production of reactive oxygen species. The levels of these oxygen molecules are controlled by antioxidant enzymes and this mechanism is an important plant defense process. The aim of this study is to learn the effect of feeding by the stink bug, Diceraeus melacanthus, on the growth of corn plants and on the activity of the antioxidant enzyme peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT). The study was carried out in a greenhouse, in a completely randomized design, with a 2 × 4 factorial block and five replications. The first factor was composed of plants with and without the presence of the bug and the second factor was composed the age of corn plants, two, four, six, and eight days after emergence. Corn seedlings infested with the stink bug were negatively influenced in terms of plant height, root mass and increasing in activity of the POD enzyme was 84% higher in plants infested at 8th DAE. The CAT enzyme activity was not detected in the samples. The stink bug feeding affected the growth of the corn seedlings. The analysis of the POD enzyme could be a valuable tool to quantify the stress caused by the stink bug in futures studies.
Highlights
The corn plant Zea mays L. (Poaceae) can be affected by several pests that attack from the root, to the stalk and leaves, to the corn cob, causing damage throughout the cultivation cycle, if not properly managed
According to the results obtained in this research, the infestation with the stink bug D. melacanthus influenced the development of corn seedlings, and induced the production of defensive O3 molecules by plants, which is demonstrated by the presence of catalyst enzymes
The direct damage caused by sucking insects, as observed for the green-belly stink bug in corn plants, are not notice inicitly, because they are related to internal changes in plant tissues, as compared to the damage caused by chewing insects
Summary
The corn plant Zea mays L. (Poaceae) can be affected by several pests that attack from the root, to the stalk and leaves, to the corn cob, causing damage throughout the cultivation cycle, if not properly managed. (Poaceae) can be affected by several pests that attack from the root, to the stalk and leaves, to the corn cob, causing damage throughout the cultivation cycle, if not properly managed. The green belly stink bugs species Diceraeus melacanthus Dallas, 1851 and Diceraeus furcatus Fabricius, 1775 (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) are causing significant damage to the crop (Fernandes et al, 2020). The stink bugs of the genus Diceraeus spp. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) gained prominence in the main producing regions, during the planting period of the second harvest. The dynamics of cultivation, such as, the anticipation of the soybean harvest and the consequent planting of corn in mid-January and February, coincide with the peak period of the stink bugs, which may culminate in significant damage to the crops (Chocorosqui & Panizzi, 2004). There exist a few control strategies that work efficiently (Chiesa et al, 2016)
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