Potassium Silicate and Jasmonic Acid Increase Defense of Pistachio Trees by Operating Flavonoid Status and Physiological Properties of Agonoscena pistaciae

Alamkhani, Najmeh; Pahlavan Yali, Maryam; Bozorg Amirkalaee, Maryam

doi:10.22059/ijhst.2025.390321.1029

Potassium Silicate and Jasmonic Acid Increase Defense of Pistachio Trees by Operating Flavonoid Status and Physiological Properties of Agonoscena pistaciae

Document Type : Research paper

Authors

Najmeh Alamkhani ¹

Maryam Pahlavan Yali ²

Maryam Bozorg Amirkalaee ³

¹ MSc Student, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar university, Kerman, Iran

² Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University, Iran

³ Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

10.22059/ijhst.2025.390321.1029

Abstract

The pistachio psylla, Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt and Lauterer (Hemiptera, Psyllidae), is a significant pest that has caused considerable damage to pistachio trees worldwide. In this study, the effects of jasmonic acid (JA), potassium silicate (PS), and the combination of these compounds on the resistance of pistachio trees to A. pistaciae in 2020 and 2021 were investigated. The study found that the treatments had a significant impact on the nymphal period of the psyllid in both years. Additionally, the content of flavonoids was found to be considerably higher in the treated trees compared to the control. The highest nymphal period and the lowest survival rate of the psyllid were observed in trees treated with a combined application of JA and PS in both years. Furthermore, the study revealed that the levels of lipid and glycogen in A. pistaciae were the lowest when the psyllid was fed on trees treated with JA integrated with PS. In addition, the activity of peroxidase and esterase enzymes was found to be lowest in the JA+PS treatment. These findings suggest that the exogenous application of JA integrated with PS on pistachio trees can successfully suppress A. pistaciae population and can be considered in integrated management programs against psyllids.

Keywords

Antioxidant enzymes

Energy sources

Jasmonic acid

Potassium silicate

Psyllid