Comparison and Relationship between Water Parameters and Abundance of Insects in Field and Irrigation System of Paddy Area of Sungai Burong, Tanjung Karang, Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract

Any disturbance that occurs in agro-ecosystem especially in alteration of water quality has significant effects towards the diversity and distribution of insects. Improper agronomic practices in plantation areas such as the extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides may cause the disturbance of water quality. Thus, affecting the diversity and distribution of the insect communities. Following to that, the intention of this study is to determine the effect of water parameter on abundance of beneficial insects in the paddy field of Sungai Burong at two seasons of sampling periods. Indeed, sampling was done in both paddy plots and drains. The measurement of water temperature, salinity, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO in mg/L and %) was analyzed using YSI 550A Multi-parameter probe while the suspended solid, ammonia, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) were analyzed in the laboratory. The results showed that there were relationships between all beneficial insects with water parameters. Moreover, the water temperature, DO, BOD and COD were good predictors for abundances of beneficial insects which were Anisoptera, Zygoptera, Gerridae and Coccinellidae. Therefore, it was recommended that all farmers maintain the quality of water in inlet, paddy plots and drains at the acceptable level thus, the abundance of beneficial insects can be increased, reducing the dependency on application of insecticides.