Abstract
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.
Highlights
Phaseolus lunatus is commonly known as sieve bean, butter bean, double bean, or lima bean, being the latter its most common name
VIEIRA (1992) stated that the lima bean plant entered Brazil with slave trade, and it is currently cultivated in all Brazilian states, especially by rural populations of Northeastern Brazil
The black aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch, stands out because it has a lot of potential to damage crops
Summary
Phaseolus lunatus is commonly known as sieve bean, butter bean, double bean, or lima bean, being the latter its most common name. According to OLIVEIRA et al (2010), lima bean was originated in the American continent and has spread worldwide; it is used as an alternative to the consumption of the traditional Phaseolus vulgaris and Vigna unguiculata beans. VIEIRA (1992) reported that there are few studies on insects associated with lima beans. According to SANTOS; QUINDERÉ (1988), the first 35 days after the emergence of the insect is the period of greatest concern. These insects are generally located on terminal shoots and can attack pods. The great concern with aphids is that they are vectors of viruses, transmitting the viruses already during probing
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