Tolerance of soybean genotypes to the stink bug complex and their intraguild interactions

• Grant number: 20/07576-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2021
• End date: October 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Edson Luiz Lopes Baldin
• Grantee: Edson Luiz Lopes Baldin
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The soybean stink bug complex consists mainly of the pentatomids Euschistus heros (F.), Piezodorus guildinii (W.) and Diceraeus melacanthus (D.), which represent a serious threat to this crop in Brazil. Its attack can cause deformation of the seeds, abscission of pods, loss of vigor and germination, in addition to leaf retention, with direct reflections on the crop yield. The stink bugs management is carried out mainly by spraying with synthetic insecticides, which are used on a large scale, harming the environment and non-target organisms, in addition to selecting resistant populations of the insects to different chemical groups. In view of the need to adopt less impactful control practices in relation to the chemical method, the use of tolerant plants can be a valuable tool within the integrated pest management of soybean crops. Tolerant plants are more able of resisting or recovering from damage caused by the feeding of an insect pest, maintaining good levels of productivity. However, to date, more detailed studies on the expression of tolerance of soybean genotypes against the stink bugs are still scarce. In addition, there is insufficient information on the interactions involving E. heros, P. guildinii and D. melacanthus in soybean plants, an extremely important aspect for a better understanding of the competition and the prevalence of a certain species of insect in relation to others. Based on the above, this project aims to evaluate and characterize the possible tolerance of soybean genotypes in response to the attack of E. heros, P. guildinii and D. melacanthus, through greenhouse and field trials. In parallel, tests will be carried out on intraguilt interaction with the three species of stink bugs, aiming to expand knowledge about the competition among them in soybean. The results to be obtained will be useful for the integrated pest management (IPM) in this crop. (AU)