Silicon enhances natural enemy attraction and biological control through induced plant defences
Silicon (Si) is known to have a role in constitutive plant defence against arthropod pests, and recent work has illustrated involvement in induced plant defences. The present tri-trophic study tested the hypothesis that Si increases natural enemy attraction to pest-infested plants and improves biolo...
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Published in | Bulletin of entomological research Vol. 100; no. 3; pp. 367 - 371 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Cambridge, UK
Cambridge University Press
01.06.2010
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Silicon (Si) is known to have a role in constitutive plant defence against arthropod pests, and recent work has illustrated involvement in induced plant defences. The present tri-trophic study tested the hypothesis that Si increases natural enemy attraction to pest-infested plants and improves biological control. Cucumber plants treated with potassium silicate (Si+) and untreated control plants (Si−) were maintained in separately vented glasshouse compartments. Y-tube olfactometer studies showed that adult Dicranolaius bellulus were significantly more attracted to Si+ plants upon which Helicoverpa armigera larvae had fed compared with Si−, pest-infested plants. Predators were not significantly more attracted to Si+ plants when comparing uninfested cucumbers. In a field experiment, we placed H. armigera-infested and uninfested Si+ and Si− cucumber plants in a lucerne stand. Removal rates of H. armigera egg baits showed predation was greater for Si+ infested plants than for other treatments. Results suggest that Si applied to plants with a subsequent pest infestation increases the plants' attractiveness to natural enemies; an effect that was reflected in elevated biological control in the field. |
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Bibliography: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0007485309990265 istex:21C1C24AE28FA171A94B5D9F5122403F172F69D5 ark:/67375/6GQ-CPXQMVFZ-R PII:S0007485309990265 ArticleID:99026 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0007-4853 1475-2670 |
DOI: | 10.1017/S0007485309990265 |