Abstract
The southern red mite, Oligonychus ilicis (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae) can cause a significant reduction in the photosynthesis potential and the growth of new coffee plants (Coffea spp., Rubiaceae). Studies suggest that the leaf spraying of silicon (Si) leads to increase plants resistance in order to reduce infestations of insect pests such as herbivores, borers, sucking insects and mites. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of leaf spraying of potassium silicate (K2SiO3) to control the southern red mite in coffee plants. Experiments were conducted in coffee plants (Coffea arabica L.), grown in a greenhouse, by means of completely randomized design with six treatments: Dose 0 (control), 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 liters of silicate potassium ha-1 and five replications. Plants treated with potassium silicate, regardless of the applied dose, had a lower O. ilicis infestation compared to the control, not allowing the population increase, thus a smaller damage in coffee leaves. The silicon content in leaves was higher in plants treated with the highest dose of potassium silicate. It was observed that there was induction of defense molecules such as tannins and lignin in plants sprayed with potassium silicate. It was concluded that the potassium silicate applied in leaf spraying had positive effect on reducing O. ilicis attack in coffee plants, even being a dicot. Therefore, the applications of potassium silicate by leaf spraying can be used in programs of integrated management of the southern red mite in coffee, with a view to sustainable management and environmental protection.
Highlights
The southern red mite, Oligonychus ilicis (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae), is an important pest of the coffee plantations (Coffea spp., Rubiaceae) in all producing regions of Brazil
The results show that the number of O. ilicis mites, in the immature and adult phases, no significant difference was observed between potassium silicate and control doses in the first two weeks after the first application of the product (Table 1)
The number of eggs placed by O. ilicis was affected by the different doses of potassium silicate only after 7 days of the first application, where the control and treatment 3 (4 liters/ha) presented higher number of eggs in relation to the other treatments, in the following evaluations no differences were observed between the analyzed doses (Table 2)
Summary
The southern red mite, Oligonychus ilicis (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae), is an important pest of the coffee plantations (Coffea spp., Rubiaceae) in all producing regions of Brazil. This mite lives in the upper surface of the leaves and pierce the cells of the epidermis and mesophyll for their feeding and absorbs part of the cellular content that overflows [1]. The continued use of chemical acaricides to control the O. ilicis mite population may result in resistant specimens among the mite population, as well as the possibility of causing resistance in other pests of coffee and affecting human health due to high amounts of toxic waste [1] [5] [6] [7]. Has been shown to reduce infestations of insect pests such as herbivores, borers, sucking insects, and mites [9] [10] [11]
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