Silicon applications in rice plants alter the stylet probing behaviors of Glyphepomis spinosa (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

The stink bug Glyphepomis spinosa Campos & Grazia (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a potential rice pest in Brazil. This study evaluates the interaction between silicon sources and 3 rice cultivars (BRS Esmeralda, Canela de Ferro, and IRGA 417) and examines how increasing silicon levels affect the stylet probing behavior of G. spinosa. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design with a 3 × 3 factorial scheme (silicon sources: calcium silicate, potassium silicate, a control, and 3 rice cultivars). Fertilizing rice plants with Si altered the probing behavior of the stink bug G. spinosa. The cultivar interaction by Si source was significant in a few variables. This was evidenced by longer periods without ingestion, prolonged time to the first stylet probe (initial probing), and less time spent in cellular maceration. This result supports the use of electropenetrography as a tool to evaluate resistance inducers in plants.

Whitefly-tolerant transgenic common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) line.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a staple food in Brazil with both nutritional and socioeconomic importance. As an orphan crop, it has not received as much research attention as the commodity crops. Crop losses are strongly related to virus diseases transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, one of the most important agricultural pests in the world. The main method of managing whitefly-transmitted viruses has been the application of insecticides to reduce vector populations. Compared to chemical vector control, a more sustainable strategy for managing insect-borne viruses is the development of resistant/tolerant cultivars. RNA interference has been applied to develop plant lines resistant to the whitefly in other species, such as tomato, lettuce and tobacco. Still, no whitefly-resistant plant has been made commercially available to date. Common bean is a recalcitrant species to in vitro regeneration; therefore, stable genetic transformation of this plant has been achieved only at low frequencies (<1%) using particle bombardment. In the present work, two transgenic common bean lines were obtained with an intron-hairpin construct to induce post-transcriptional gene silencing against the B. tabaci vATPase (Bt-vATPase) gene, with stable expression of siRNA. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of bands of expected size for siRNA in leaf samples of the line Bt-22.5, while in the other line (11.5), the amount of siRNA produced was significantly smaller. Bioassays were conducted with both lines, but only the line Bt-22.5 was associated with significant mortality of adult insects (97% when insects were fed on detached leaves and 59% on the whole plant). The expression of the Bt-vATPase gene was 50% lower (p < 0.05) in insects that fed on the transgenic line Bt-22.5, when compared to non-transgenic controls. The transgenic line did not affect the virus transmission ability of the insects. Moreover, no effect was observed on the reproduction of non-target organisms, such as the black aphid Aphis craccivora, the leafminer Liriomyza sp. and the whitefly parasitoid Encarsia formosa. The results presented here serve as a basis for the development of whitefly-tolerant transgenic elite common bean cultivars, with potential to contribute to the management of the whitefly and virus diseases.

Mapping of spatiotemporal distribution of Tibraca limbativentris Stal (Hem.: Pentatomidae) in flooded rice crop in Southern Brazil

ABSTRACT The rice stem bug, Tibraca limbativentris Stal (Hem.: Pentatomidae), is one of the main insect pests in Brazilian rice crops. Knowledge of its spatiotemporal distribution can support the development of an effective sampling system and improve IPM strategies. This study aimed to map the spatiotemporal distribution of rice stem bug in flooded rice crop in Southern Brazil. Flooded rice crop was scouted for two seasons to estimate insect densities. Four occurrence categories were observed: no insect, only adults, only nymphs, and both phases. The relationship between phenological stages and insect categories was established. Interpolation (mapping) of occurrence categories of T. limbativentris was performed by multiquadric equations. In two seasons during the rice cycle, the results indicate that rice stem bug "adults" were the most abundant category until the mid-vegetative phase of the rice; "nymphs" were the most abundant from the end of vegetative phase; "adults + nymphs" occurred from the beginning of reproductive phase; there were no rice stem bugs in more than 66% of the area, as they were most concentrated near the edge of the crop. The information presented here provides further knowledge about T. limbativentris spatiotemporal dynamics that can be applied to improve IPM strategies, such as developing sampling plans and localized control measures at the edge of rice fields.

Geostatistics applied to the study of the spatial distribution of Tibraca limbativentris in flooded rice fields / Geoestatística aplicada ao estudo da distribuição espacial de Tibraca limbativentris em arrozal irrigado por inundação

Tibraca limbativentris (rice stem bug) is an insect highly injurious to the rice crop in Brazil. The aim of this research was to define the spatial distribution of the T. limbativentris and improve the sampling process by means of geostatistical application techniques and construction of prediction maps in a flooded rice field located in the "Planalto da Campanha" Region, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. The experiments were conducted in rice crop in the municipality of Itaqui - RS, in the crop years of 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12, counting fortnightly the number of nymphs and adults in a georeferenced grid with points spaced at 50m in the first year and in 10m in the another years. It was performed a geostatistical analysis by means adjusting semivariogram and interpolation of numeric data by kriging to verify the spatial dependence and the subsequent mapping population. The results obtained indicated that the rice stem bug, T. limbativentris, has a strong spatial dependence. The prediction maps allow estimating population density of the pest and visualization of the spatial distribution in flooded rice fields, enabling the improvement of the traditional method of sampling for rice stem bug.

Tibraca limbativentris (percevejo-do-colmo) é um inseto altamente prejudicial à cultura do arroz no Brasil. O objetivo com este trabalho foi definir a distribuição espacial de T. limbativentris e aperfeiçoar o método de amostragem por meio da aplicação de técnicas geoestatísticas e construção de mapas de predição em arrozal irrigado por inundação, no Planalto da Campanha do Rio Grande do Sul. Os experimentos foram realizados em lavoura de arroz situada no município de Itaqui - RS, nos anos agrícolas de 2009/10, 2010/11 e 2011/12, efetuando-se amostragens quinzenais para contagem de ninfas e adultos, conforme grids georreferenciados com pontos espaçados em 50m na primeira safra e em 10m nas demais safras. Realizou-se a análise geoestatística via ajuste de semivariogramas e da interpolação dos dados numéricos por krigagem ordinária para verificar a dependência espacial e posterior mapeamento populacional. Os resultados obtidos indicaram que o percevejo do colmo, T. limbativentris, possui forte dependência espacial. Os mapas de predição permitem estimar a densidade populacional da praga e a visualização de sua distribuição espacial em lavoura de arroz irrigado por inundação, possibilitando o aperfeiçoamento do método de amostragem tradicional para o percevejo-do-colmo.

Zingiberenol, (1R,4R,1'S)­4-(1',5'-Dimethylhex-4'-enyl)-1-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-ol, identified as the sex pheromone produced by males of the rice stink bug Oebalus poecilus (heteroptera: pentatomidae).

Bioassays using an olfactometer showed that Oebalus poecilus males produce the sexual pheromone, and the chemical analysis demonstrated that this compound is zingiberenol. Two groups of isomers, each containing four diastereoisomers, (1RS,4RS,1'S)- and (1RS,4RS,1'R)-zingiberenol, were prepared. These diastereoisomers were not separated on a chiral GC column. Therefore, to determine the absolute configuration of the carbon 1, 4, and 1' of zingiberenol produced by males, the following strategies were conducted. The extract containing males volatiles was submitted to dehydration microchemistry to produce zingiberene, in which the isomers are separated by chiral GC analysis, and by comparison with the natural zingiberene from ginger oil, the absolute stereochemistry of the carbons 4 and 1' was determined to be R and S, respectively, and the carbon 1 was determined as R from the (13)C NMR spectra of quercivorol. Finally, the bioassays showed that O. poecilus females responded to racemic mixture and to (1RS,4RS,1'S)-zingiberenol.