Silicon amendment to rice plants reduces the transmission of southern rice black‐streaked dwarf virus by Sogatella furcifera

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Plant viruses are transmitted mainly by piercing-sucking herbivores, and viral disease management relies on chemical control of vectors. Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) is transmitted by the white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of silicon (Si) amendment for reducing SRBSDV transmission.RESULTS: The settling and ovipositional preferences of WBPH females decreased significantly by 14.6-43.7% for plants treated with either 0.16 g or 0.32 g SiO 2 kg −1 soil during SRBSDV acquisition and by 26.2-28.3% for plants treated with 0.32 g SiO 2 kg −1 soil during SRBSDV inoculation, compared with controls. Adding either 0.16 or 0.32 g SiO 2 kg −1 soil significantly reduced SRBSDV inoculation rate by 31.3% and 45.3%, respectively, and acquisition rate by 25.5% and 66.0%, respectively. Silicification was intensified more in plants treated with 0.32 g SiO 2 kg −1 soil than in controls. The nonprobing (np) duration increased, and the phloem sap ingestion (N4-b) duration decreased significantly in the WBPHs feeding on high-rate-Si-supplemented plants compared with control plants during both inoculation and acquisition access.CONCLUSION: This study showed that Si amendment to rice plants decreased the WBPH settling and ovipositional preference and the SRBSDV acquisition and inoculation rates, thereby reducing SRBSDV transmission. The intensified plant silicification and the altered WBPH feeding behaviors (i.e. prolonged np and shortened N4-b) may explain the reduced SRBSDV transmission in Si-amended plants.

Combined Effects of Soil Silicon and Host Plant Resistance on Planthoppers, Blast and Bacterial Blight in Tropical Rice

“…Such strong antixenosis effects on egg laying, together with reduced longevity in adult females, may explain observations of slower BPH population build-up on rice grown in high-silicon media [ 10 , 68 ]. Although we did not detect soil silicon effects on WBPH ( Tables S3 and S6 ), Salim and Saxena (1992) [ 69 ] found silicon amendments strongly influenced WBPH fitness (see above), and Jia et al (2021) [ 59 ] found that soil silicon was associated with reduced nymph settling and egg laying in WBPH as well as lower assimilation and inoculation rates of WBPH-transmitted Southern Rice Black-Streaked Dwarf Virus (SRBSDV).…”

“…A number of studies, using a range of different silicon sources and different rice varieties, have indicated that by increasing soil silicon content, the densities of silica crystals in rice leaves and the silicon content of rice plants, particularly the leaves and stems, increase [ 10 , 15 , 39 , 57 , 58 , 59 ]. Although our estimates of silica were rudimentary, the silica content of IR22 plants did increase with increasing concentrations of applied silica gel.…”

A systematic review of southern rice black‐streaked dwarf virus in the age of omics

“…Therefore, pest management techniques are the key to maintaining crop quality and yield during rice production, and integrated pest management will be the model of crop protection recognized by many countries in the future 28,29 . Considering that planthoppers are the only means of SRBSDV transmission, the prevention and treatment of S. furcifera is an effective way to manage SRBSDV and slow the economic losses caused by the disease 12,30 …”

Synthesis, insecticidal activity, and mode of action of novel imidazopyridine mesoionic derivatives containing an amido group

“…In addition to their own damage to crops, hemipteran pestssuch as planthoppers and aphids-can transmit viral diseases, causing heavy losses to agricultural production. [1][2][3] Synthetic insecticides mainly are used to control hemipteran pests; however, an increasing number of synthetic insecticides are restricted or banned as a consequence of severe resistance in pest populations, toxicity to bees and other environmental issues. [4][5][6] Accordingly, there is an urgent need to discover and develop alternative controls that are highly efficient, do not cause a high degree of resistance in pest populations, and that are more environmentally safe for nontarget organisms.…”

“…In addition to their own damage to crops, hemipteran pests—such as planthoppers and aphids—can transmit viral diseases, causing heavy losses to agricultural production 1–3 . Synthetic insecticides mainly are used to control hemipteran pests; however, an increasing number of synthetic insecticides are restricted or banned as a consequence of severe resistance in pest populations, toxicity to bees and other environmental issues 4–6 .…”