Characterization of resistance in commom bean genotypes Phaseolus vulgaris L. to Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

• Grant number: 21/05177-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2021
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Gilberto Raetano
• Grantee: Isabella Rubio Cabral
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The common bean Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fabales: Fabaceae) has great economic importance worldwide. Brazil is among the largest producers of this legume which green pods and seeds constitute one of the main protein sources for its population. The bean weevil Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say, 1831) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) is considered a key pest of stored beans due to the direct and indirect damage, which reduces crop yield. The reproductive capacity of the weevil is high and directly compromise the quality of grain besides facilitating the entry of pathogens, making them impractical for consumption and trade. The most frequent practice of managing bean weevils is by chemical control using synthetic insecticides. However, in addition to increasing the cost of production, chemical control becomes problematic when applications of insecticides occur close to product consumption, besides contaminating the environment and resulting in the development of resistant pest varieties. In view of the lack of alternative control methods, the development of other management methods for A. obtectus is necessary. In this sense, the use of resistant genotypes is considered a valuable tool for Integrated Pest Management (IPM), since it reduces the use of insecticides, has lower cost, specificity for one or more pests, and action on successive generations of insects. Thus, this project aims to characterize the possible resistance of 92 genotypes of P. Vulgaris L. to A. obtectus (Coleoptera: Bruchinae), according to essays on antixenosis and antibiosis, under laboratory conditions. The results can guide the choice of bean genotypes less susceptible to insect attacks and collaborate in breeding programs focusing on bruchid resistance. (AU)