Prospect of utilizing botanical pesticides for maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) management to preserve national maize production

Abstract

Maize plays a strategic role in the national food map as well as a mainstay commodity in accelerating the realization of food self-sufficiency. It is because maize has wide adaptability and is relatively easy to cultivate. However, the attack of maize weevil obstructs the increase of maize productivity. This pest is the most destructive and reduces maize productivity as a national source of carbohydrates. The global policy of limiting the use of synthetic pesticides to control agricultural pests has become a topic of discussion in international forums today. It is due to the large number of deaths reported by synthetic pesticides. WHO reports that every year pesticide poisoning occurs between 44,000-2,000,000 people worldwide, and the highest poisoning rates occur in developing countries. In response to this, the government has made regulations through Government Regulation No.6 of 1995 concerning synthetic pesticides. It is contained in. Plant-based materials are very prospective to be used as active ingredients for environmentally friendly botanical pesticides. It has been identified that around 10,000 potential secondary metabolite components can be processed into active ingredients of botanical pesticides. This paper discusses the potential of botanical pesticides in Indonesia’s national plant treasures.