A Populasi dan Intensitas Serangan Hama Setothosea asigna pada Kelapa Sawit (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) di Desa Gunung Cahya Kematan Buay Rawan Kabupaten Oku Selatan

Population and Intensity of Pest Attack Setothosea asigna on Palm Oil (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Gunung Cahya Village, Buay Rawan District South Oku Regency

Abstract

Palm oil (Elaies guineensis Jacq.) belongs to the palm group which produces oil and is used as a raw material for the food and cosmetic industries so that palm oil occupies an important position in Indonesia. One of the obstacles faced in increasing the production of oil palm plants is the attack of plant pest organisms. One of them is the presence of pests. One of the important pests on oil palm plants is the leaf-eating caterpillar, namely the fire caterpillar (Setothosea asigna). Setothosea asigna can cause oil palm plants to suffer leaf damage up to 50%. So that it can cause oil palm plants to lose production up to 78% in the first year after the pest attack and 40% in the second year after the attack. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in population and intensity of pest attacks on two oil palm fields with different plant ages. This research was conducted in Gunung Cahya Village, Buay Rawan District, South OKU Regency. Observations were made by survey methods and direct observation methods (Scan sampling) by calculating the number of populations and determining the intensity of pest attacks. Then the oil palm plants were observed as many as 30 plants/land and the data obtained were carried out by t-test. The results showed that the population and intensity of attack of Setothosea asigna in land 1 was lower than in land 2. In land 1, oil palm plantations had produced good fruit, so treatments such as fertilization and land clearing were routinely carried out. While on land 2 oil palms have not been properly cared for because the plants are in their growth period or TBM (Immature plants) and during their growth period, corn is still planted between plants.