Insects rearing and development of a new methodology and device for artificial infestation with lepidopteran eggs in field trials

Abstract

Brazil is among the world's major agricultural producers, mainly in soybean, maize, cotton and sugarcane. However, the main Brazilian regions are facing severe attacks of pests, impacting on Yield. For example, among the pest recently detected in Brazil is Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) attacking various crops. Another important fact was the confirmation of Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) resistance to a variety of genetically modified maize for Cry1F protein expression. Given these facts, it is necessary accelerate the research and development new and efficient methods of controlling these species under laboratory, greenhouses and field conditions. To conduct research on insect pests under field conditions, it is necessary to perform artificial infestations with the main objectives to ensure the presence of the target species and seek a better uniformity of insects distribution in the area. However, besides the low or almost non-existent availability of insect suppliers in the market, when these infestations are performed by simply setting the postures in the leaves, there are significant environmental effects and losses by predation, which reduces the chances of success of this research. Many studies have been made to minimize these losses, but despite numerous attempts, in most cases, the results were much lower than expected. Currently, most lepidopteran species infestations are performed with newly-hatched larvae, through the bazooka method. This method is laborious, requires much hand labor, is costly and only feasible for grasses due to the presence of cartridge. Given the above, the company Pragas.com, resident and based in Piracicaba (SP) ESALQTec in the College of Agriculture "Luiz de Queiroz", University of São Paulo (USP-ESALQ), is dedicated to the development of a device for artificial infestation with eggs of H. armigera, S. frugiperda and S. eridania (Cramer) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in field experiments and in establishing the techniques of mass rearing of these species so they can be sold along with its device. The device being developed must include features that provide simplicity, ease and agility in the deposition of eggs or egg masses to infestation of the experimental plots in soybean, corn and cotton. At the same time, must ensure protection to the eggs against attack by predators and adverse weather. It is in this context that the Company Pragas.com submits this application for funds in PIPE Program - Phase I of FAPESP. (AU)