Using silicon to improve biological control of the fall armyworm on corn

Authors: ZIMBA, KENNEDY - University Of Zambia; Legaspi, Jesusa; HASEEB, MUHAMMAD - Florida A & M University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a major pest of corn, native to the American continent. It was first reported in Africa in 2016 and has now become an economically important pest of corn causing over 30% losses in grain yield (estimated at US $4.6 billion) annually, jeopardizing food security and livelihoods. To date, control efforts have mainly depended on pesticides, which have proved to have variable success, likely due to development of pesticide resistance. Lack of capacity for most resource poor farmers to afford repeated applications of pesticides, possibility of secondary pest outbreaks and non-target effects of pesticides to people and the environment highlights the urgent need for more sustainable strategies to manage FAW in Africa. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of silicon (Si) in induced plant defense against some insect pests and could offer an alternative for management of FAW. This tri-trophic study tested the hypothesis that soil applied potassium silicate increases the attraction of natural enemies to corn plants infested by FAW. The olfactory response of adults and nymphs of a generalist predator, Euthyrhynchus floridanus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to treated (Si+) and untreated-control (Si-) corn plants were evaluated using a 4-arm olfactometer. Results from this study are promising as they showed potential attraction of both adults and nymphs of E. floridanus to corn plants drenched with potassium silicate.