Silicon (Si) is agronomically beneficial due to positive effects it provides to plant development, including the increased defensive response capacity against attack of herbivorous insects. This study evaluated the effects of applications of Si sources via soil and foliar sprays on yellow passion fruit biochemistry and Si-induced resistance to feeding preference and development of the major passion fruit pest, Dione juno juno. Two independent experiments were conducted with applications of calcium silicate (78–88% SiO₂) via soil and as foliar sprays with the commercial product AgriSil® (98% SiO₂) to plants of Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa in a greenhouse. Four doses were tested for each Si source plus a control treatment. Biochemical analyses in the plants included the concentrations of Si and total phenolics, and activities of the enzymes peroxidase (POX), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Si-induced resistance to D. juno juno was investigated in feeding assays in the laboratory and on the insect’s development on potted-plants in the greenhouse. As main results, calcium silicate favoured the increase in Si content and the activities of POX and PAL, in addition to negatively affecting larvae feeding preference, leaf area consumed, and adult-stage parameters of D. juno juno. Agrisil led to increased Si content, total phenolics concentration, and POX activity, but did not affect the feeding preference, performance, and development of D. juno juno. Calcium silicate is promising for use in integrated pest management and could provide benefits to passion fruit production by reducing the economic losses by D. juno juno attack.

硅（Si）在农业上是有益的，因为它对植物发育具有积极作用，包括增加了对草食性昆虫攻击的防御反应能力。这项研究评估了通过土壤和叶面喷施硅源对西番莲黄生物化学的影响以及硅诱导的对主要百香果害虫Dione juno juno的摄食偏好和发育的抗性。两个独立的实验用硅酸钙（78-88％的SiO的应用程序进行₂经由土壤）和作为与该商业产品AgriSil®（98％的SiO叶面喷洒₂）至植物西番莲F。黄果在温室里。对于每个Si源，加上对照处理，测试了四剂。植物中的生化分析包括Si和总酚的浓度，以及过氧化物酶（POX），苯丙氨酸氨裂合酶（PAL）和多酚氧化酶（PPO）的活性。在实验室的饲喂试验中以及在温室盆栽植物中该昆虫的发育过程中，研究了硅诱导的对杜氏假单胞菌的抗性。作为主要结果，硅酸钙有利于增加硅含量以及POX和PAL的活性，此外还对幼虫的摄食偏好，食用叶面积和成虫的成年期参数产生负面影响。。Agrisil导致Si含量，总酚浓度和POX活性增加，但并未影响D. juno juno的饲喂偏好，性能和发育。硅酸钙有望用于病虫害的综合治理，并可以通过减少D. juno juno攻击造成的经济损失为百香果生产带来好处。