Do Synthetic Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles Enhance Biological Control by Mirid Predators in Greenhouses?

• Grant number: 18/25151-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): February 29, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: José Maurício Simões Bento
• Grantee: Diego Bastos Silva
• Supervisor: Alberto Urbaneja Gacia
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 16/12771-0 - Use of mirids predators for biological control of pests, BP.PD

Abstract

Biological pest control in greenhouse crops is usually based on periodical releases of mass-produced natural enemies. However, in some cases there are shortcomings in pest control efficacy, which often can be attributed to the poor establishment of natural enemies. Their establishment and population numbers can be enhanced through semiochemical attractants. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are effective attractants for natural enemies and researchers have demonstrated that synthetic HIPVs can be used to attract those beneficial insects into crops. Our and Urbaneja's group previous studies have shown an attraction of mirid predators to volatiles of tomato plant infested by Tuta absoluta; such volatiles compounds were identified and quantified. Nevertheless, information on synthetic-mediated behavioral mechanisms of mirid predators is limited. Thus, due to such a lack of data, we aim to investigate the potential of synthetic HIPVs as a cultural tool to enhance biological control by mirid predators through answering the follow questions: (1) Which compound presents stronger Y-tube response to three mirid predators: Nesidiocoris tenuis, Macrolophus pygmaeus and Dicyphus bolivari?; (2) Do the selected compounds based on the Y-tube behavioral responses attract and retain those mirid predators in the greenhouse baited area? And; (3) Do the attracted mirid predators decrease the target pest? This new challenge will decipher another stage of the complex network of semiochemical-mediated pest-predator interaction, by revealing important compounds for the development of semiochemical-based strategies to enhance T. absoluta control.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SILVA, DIEGO B.; URBANEJA, ALBERTO; PEREZ-HEDO, MERITXELL. Response of mirid predators to synthetic herbivore-induced plant volatiles. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, v. 169, n. 1, SI, p. 125-132, JAN 2021. (18/25151-5)

SILVA, DIEGO B.; URBANEJA, ALBERTO; PEREZ-HEDO, MERITXELL. Response of mirid predators to synthetic herbivore-induced plant volatiles. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, v. 169, n. 1, p. 8-pg., 2020-09-27. (18/25151-5)