RESITÊNCIA DE PLANTAS A INSETOS COMO ESTRATÉGIA DE MANEJO INTREGRADO DE PRAGAS (MIP) NA CULTURA DO GRÃO-DE-BICO

Abstract

Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) are a legume of great nutritional importance for human nutrition. In Brazil, the crop is attacked by several species of caterpillars, with Spodoptera eridania (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) being the main pest in the vegetative stage, while Chloridea virescens and Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are the most harmful in the reproductive stage. These insects damage leaves, flowers, pods and grains, reducing the quality and commercial value of the production. Furthermore, contamination by feces and saliva makes grains more susceptible to disease, negatively impacting farmers’ productivity and profitability. Integrated pest management (IPM), including plant resistance and complementary control methods, is essential to minimize this damage. This study aimed to evaluate the resistance of chickpea cultivars and the interaction of different strategies in the control of defoliating and pod-eating caterpillars. The experimental design used was randomized blocks in a 3 x 3 factorial scheme, with three cultivars (BRS Aleppo, BRS Hari and BRS Toro) and three treatments (biological – Bacillus thuringiensis, chemical – Match EC and control), totaling nine treatments with four replicates. Caterpillar infestation was evaluated in the vegetative, flowering and pod formation phases. The results indicated greater control of S. eridania in the vegetative phase and of C. virescens and H. armigera in the reproductive phase in the BRS Toro cultivar with chemical control. Thus, the association between resistant cultivars and different control methods is essential for chickpea IPM.