اثر سیلیکات پتاسیم روی جمعیت پسیل معمولی پستهAgonoscena pistaciae

Common pistachio psyllid, Agonoscena pistaciae, is a significant pest of pistachio trees in pistachio-producing regions around the world including Iran. This pest causes quantitative and qualitative yield reductions. Various insecticides are annually applied in pistachio orchards to manage this pest. However, extensive insecticide use can have detrimental effects on the environment and beneficial insects. Moreover, repeated use of these chemicals may lead to pest resistance. Potassium silicate is an environmentally friendly silicon-based fertilizer. This compound serves as a readily available source of both silicon and potassium for agricultural production systems. Its primary function is to supplement plant-available silicon, with the additional benefit of providing a minor contribution of potassium. This study investigated the effects of potassium silicate on population of A. pistaciae. To this purpose, pistachio seedlings infested with either A. pistaciae eggs or first-instar nymphs were exposed to 2.5 and 5 ml/L concentrations of potassium silicate. Water was used as control. The experiments were replicated four times. The results indicated that nymphs were more susceptible to potassium silicate than eggs. Both potassium silicate concentrations caused significant mortality of A. pistaciae eggs and first-instar nymphs, but the effect of 5 ml/L potassium silicate was significantly greater than that of 2.5 ml/L. Based on the findings, potassium silicate can be considered as a component of an integrated pest management (IPM) program for A. pistaciae.