Diversity of predators and population Spodoptera frugiperda J.E Smith by application botanical insecticide and intercropping cover crops

Abstract

Fall armyworm or Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith is one of the invasive pest in maize cultivation. Fall armyworm attacks can cause a decrease in production yields or even a loss of yields at high levels of pest investment. To control S. frugiperda populations, farmers use chemical insecticides to reduce pest populations. In Integrated pest management, preventive action needs to be taken, for example, by managing agroecosystems to increase the diversity of beneficial arthropods and as a control action by using botanical insecticides from plant extract. Therefore, this study aims to find out the effectiveness of various cover crops and application botanical insecticide to increasing the diversity of predators and decreasing S. frugiperda population. The method used in this study was descriptive experimental with a randomized group design consisting of 4 treatments of intercrop, Arachis pintoi (AMB), Portulaca oleracea (PMB), Desmodium triflorum (DMB) and without intercrop as control (MB), all of which were sprayed with botanical insecticides with concentration 5%. As a comparison, observations will be made on the farmer treatment. Data analysis for used ANOVA and those that were significantly different were tested futher with Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. The results showed that the diversity index of predators on AMB was significantly higher than other treatments, while the S. frugiperda population at 8 observations was found most in the MB and farmer treatments but had no significant difference with the other treatments. The attack intensity of S. frugiperda on cover crops and botanical insecticide treatment showed lower results and was significantly different compared to MB and farmer treatment. Our results also show the index value of arthropod diversity in the AMB treatment is higher than the other treatments. We can conclude that agroecosystem management with combination of intercropping cover crops and application botanical insecticide can increase the diversity of predators and decrease population and attack intensity of S. frugiperda in maize cultivation.