Resistência de palma forrageira: in vitro e ex vitro á cochonilha de escama Diaspis echinocati ( Hemiptera: Diaspididae) ( Bouché, 1833).

Abstract

The forage palm of the genus Nopalea and Opuntiae is an important crop in the feeding of ruminant animals, it presents resistance to the lack of water, at high temperatures, to poor soils, but it is evident the reduction in crop productivity, due to the increase of damages caused by pests, as is the case of the scale cochineal Diaspis echinocacti. Thus, an efficient way of minimizing these damages is the adoption of integrated pest management (IPM), in which the use of resistant varieties is included. In this sense, the objective of this research was to evaluate the biological aspects of D. echinocacti and to identify species in vitro and ex vitro resistant to this pest. The research was carried out in the Laboratory of Entomology and in the Laboratory of Cell Biology, both of the UFPB / CCA, the execution of this research was divided into three articles. In Article I the biological aspects of D. echinocacti were evaluated in different species of Forage Palm and found that the species Opuntia tune presents higher averages in the viability of eggs, in the fixation of nymphs of 2nd / 3rd instars and in the adult phase of the species D. echinocacti. In addition, the species Nopalea sp. provides smaller numbers of eggs, 3-inner nymphs and adult insects. Regarding the duration of the period of each stage evaluated, the embryonic period of D. echinocacti lasted 4 days, the nymphs of 1st instar 9 days, nymphs of 2nd instar 7 days and nymphs of 3rd instar for 10 days until adult emergence. II. The objective of this experiment was to select species of forage palm resistant to D. echinocacti. In this experiment it was possible to conclude that the species Nopalea sp. showed to be highly resistant to D. echinocacti and O. palm is indicative of scale cochineal, in addition, O. stricta palm scored higher peaks in the viability of eggs and nymphs, respectively. Article III: objective was to evaluate the resistance to scale cochineal in different species of forage palm cultivated in vitro. The results listed the species of palm Nopalea sp. micropropagated as resistant to D. echinocacti and O. stricta micropropagada susceptible to scale cochineal, in addition the subcultures favored the biological development of D. echinocati.