Tarbiat Modares University Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology 1680-7073 17 3 2015 05 01 Induction of Caterpillar Resistance in Sunflower Using Silicon and Acibenzolar-S-Methyl 543 550 15717 EN F. A. Assis Department of Entomology (DEN), Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. J. A. Moraes Department of Entomology (DEN), Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. G. A. Assis Department of Entomology (DEN), Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. F. J. T. Parolin Department of Agriculture (DAG), UFLA, Brazil. Journal Article The sunflower caterpillar <em>Chlosyne lacinia</em> <em>saundersii </em>(Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) is considered a major pest in sunflower, causing severe defoliation and, thus, threatening production of oilseed. Chemical control remains the most widely used method for the management of this defoliator. To manage insect pests, there is a need to use substances of low toxicity that are able to stimulate the plant to use its own defense mechanisms. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the induction of resistance by silicon (Si) and acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) against <em>C. lacinia saundersii</em> in sunflower plants. The bioassay was conducted in a completely randomized design using 4 treatments and 10 replicates. The treatments were: (1) Si; (2) ASM; (3) Si+ASM, and (4) the control. The biological parameters of the caterpillar and the accumulation of Si and lignin in plants were evaluated. <span>The application of</span><span> <span>resistance inducers</span> <span>reduced weight</span> <span>of the</span> <span>caterpillars</span> <span>10</span> <span>and 15 days of</span> <span>age.</span> <span>The use of</span> <span>Si</span> alone <span>or Si+ASM</span> <span>promoted the</span> <span>accumulation of this</span> <span>element</span>; <span>however, only</span> <span>ASM</span> <span>increased</span> <span>lignin content</span> <span>in plants. </span>Negative correlations between the silicon content and larval weight and between the silicon content and lignin content were observed. Therefore, the application of silicic acid or ASM can inhibit the development of <em>C. lacinia saundersii</em>, conferring a resistance in plants attributable to the accumulation of silicon and lignin, thus serving as an alternative approach that may potentially be integrated into the management of this key pest in sunflower crops. https://jast.modares.ac.ir/article_15717_65969a52c869c0cf4602e2444b002796.pdf