Silicon enhances natural enemy attraction and biological control through induced plant defences

Silicon (Si) is known to have a role in constitutive plant defence against arthropod pests, and recent work has illustrated involvement in induced plant defences. The present tri-trophic study tested the hypothesis that Si increases natural enemy attraction to pest-infested plants and improves biological control. Cucumber plants treated with potassium silicate (Si(+)) and untreated control plants (Si(-)) were maintained in separately vented glasshouse compartments. Y-tube olfactometer studies showed that adult Dicranolaius bellulus were significantly more attracted to Si(+) plants upon which Helicoverpa armigera larvae had fed compared with Si, pest-infested plants. Predators were not significantly more attracted to Si(+) plants when comparing uninfested cucumbers. In a field experiment, we placed H. armigera-infested and uninfested Si(+) and Si(-) cucumber plants in a lucerne stand. Removal rates of H. armigera egg baits showed predation was greater for Si(+) infested plants than for other treatments. Results suggest that Si applied to plants with a subsequent pest infestation increases the plants' attractiveness to natural enemies; an effect that was reflected in elevated biological control in the field.