Exogenous Methyl Salicylate treatment increases tomato zingiberene levels and decreases infestation of adult whiteflies and red spider mites

• Published in: Phytoparasitica 2024-04, Vol.52 (2), p.36, Article 36
• Main Authors: dos Reis Brugnerotto, Marco, Ventura, Mauricio Ursi, de Oliveira, Luiz Vitor Barbosa, Hata, Fernando Teruhiko, Carrilho, Éder Málaga, de Souza Machado, Luiz Henrique, Bocalete, Luis Eduardo, de Resende, Juliano Tadeu Vilela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Bemisia tabaci; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Correlation; Ecology; Eggs; Hatchability; Larvae; Life Sciences; Mites; Oviposition; Pest resistance; Pests; Plant Pathology; Plant resistance; Plant Sciences; Salicylic acid; Spraying; Tomatoes
• ISSN: 0334-2123; 1876-7184
• DOI: 10.1007/s12600-024-01154-6

Phytosanitary management on tomato crop is a challenge for organic and conventional growers. Whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and mite Tetranychus evansi Baker and Pritchard are among the major pests. Methyl-salicylate (MeSa) is a methyl ester from salicylic acid and activates secondary metabolism pathways in plants. Zingiberene (ZGB) is a secondary compound associated with resistance to B. tabaci. The aim of the study was to study the relationship between the exogenous MeSA spraying and zingiberene content in tomato leaves and adult whitefly and mite responses. MeSa concentrations [0 (control), 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 µg L −1 )] were applied on tomato to evaluate the ZGB content and the relationship with whitefly and spider mite on plants. After the last ZGB analysis, plants were placed in B. tabaci- highly infested greenhouse. The number of adult whiteflies on plants was determined three days later. Tomato leaflets were collected from treated plants and infested with five T. evansi e females. The number of larvae emerging from eggs was evaluated after 96 and 120 h. Reduction of adult whiteflies (from 78 to 8%) was also observed in plants exogenously treated with MeSa [significant and negative correlation (0.88)]. The number of eggs and number of larvae were linearly reduced with increase of MeSa concentration. Positive correlation (0.97) between exogenous MeSa concentrations vs . ZGB contents was observed. Negative correlations (0.90, 0.89 and 0.94) were estimated, between MeSa concentration vs. tomato red spider mite oviposition and egg hatchability (96 and 120 h), respectively. These results indicate that exogenous MeSa applications increases ZGB content and plant resistance to B. tabaci and T. evansi.