Life table and fertility rate of Liriomyza sativae (Blanchard) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in tomato with silicon

Abstract

The miner fly Liriomyza sativae (Blanchard) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) is an insect of economic importance for tomato culture. The conventional control with insecticides is complex due to the mining eating habit that provides protection to the larvae inside the leaves. Therefore, farmers can opt for biological control agents, or substances that provide protection to the plant. Thus, the objective of our research was to evaluate the use of silicon to induce resistance in tomato plants against L. sativae. The results showed that in tomato plants treated with SiO2/F and K2SiO3/F there was a reduction in the net reproduction rate (Ro), in the intrinsic rate of increase in number (rm), in the finite rate of increase (λ), in the average interval between generations (IMG), in the doubling time (TD), in the number of eggs/ female/day and the accumulated egg laying of F1 females of L. sativae. The products SiO2/F and K2SiO3/F gave the tomato a protective effect against injuries caused by L. sativae.